The Time Harry Stole Lucius's Wife
by redwolf96
Summary: Temp Hiatus. See profile. Harry has just lost his godfather and he is ready for a break from everything before he loses his mind. Unfortunately for him, now he has to deal with being the lord of two houses and learning what that means while also coming to terms with a family secret that's been hidden for years. A surprise marriage contract makes things even more interesting.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to the world created by J. K. Rowling.

AN: - T.T.H.S.L.W. – denotes a scene break.

Chapter 1

Harry had just arrived at the Dursleys house (Durzkaban as he called it) the day before and already he was ready to get out. Since losing his godfather over a week ago, he had been having trouble sleeping and didn't have much of an appetite, though he forced himself to eat. Before he left school, he realized that it wasn't his fault (with his friends' help) but that didn't stop it from hurting so much. Plus, he was pretty pissed with Dumbledore for having kept the prophecy a secret from him for so long. If he had only known about it, he would have expected an attempt to lure him to the Ministry in the first place. In fact, he could've destroyed the thing so there would have been no reason to guard it at all. Then, even knowing how badly hiding things from him had gone so far, the man continued to do so, refusing to explain why it was so important that he go back to the Dursleys or why he wouldn't train him to face Voldemort. The only bright spot was that the Dursleys were steering clear of him and he was able to get his own food with the muggle money Tonks had slipped him before he left the train station.

After all of the crap he's been forced, to put up with, Harry was contemplating running away. He needed a break, a real break. One that didn't involve having to be in the presence of people who hated him. A place where he could heal, actually heal, from the horrible school year he suffered through. From being labelled as a liar, tortured by the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor (not that she was a good teacher anyway), and watching his godfather die, Harry was nearing his limit. That's not even including the chaos from the rest of his life. He really felt like if he didn't get a break soon, he would go mad or stop caring about this war, a bad thing either way.

Just as he was about to start making a plan of where to go and how to get there, an official looking owl flew into his window, upsetting Hedwig who barked angrily at the bird. She glared at it with a predatory look from her perch, causing Harry to shake his head at her. Before the owl crashed into something in its attempt to get far away from her, he plucked it out of the air. There was a single letter tied to its leg and he quickly untied it before sending the owl out of the window. It didn't need any urging as it flew away as fast as it could.

"That wasn't necessary Hedwig, it was just doing it's job," Harry chided, knowing it wouldn't work.

Hedwig barked angrily as if to say, _I should be the only one delivering things to you_.

"We've been over this before girl. You're the only owl for me, the best one ever," he said, trying to appease her. Thankfully it worked.

Hedwig flew down to land on his shoulder and gently butted her head against his. She hooted happily saying, _Of course I am, and don't you forget it_.

Harry rolled his eyes at his feathered friend's proud thoughts, though he admitted that she really was the best owl ever. He knew others found it strange, but Harry really could hear Hedwig's thoughts. When they met for the first time, Harry and Hedwig immediately felt a connection form between them. Since then, he's been able to communicate with her as if she was speaking plain English, something he was thankful for when he was locked up at Durzkaban. Hedwig was also able to intuitively know where he was and if he needed her at all times. Hermione said it was called a familiar bond, though no books mentioned it being as strong as theirs was. Her ability to fly long distances rather quickly, made him suspect that she wasn't a regular post-owl.

Harry shook his head to focus his attention back to the letter he had received. Surprisingly, it was from Gringotts. _I've never gotten anything from them before_, he mused before opening the letter. Inside was a single piece of parchment and a galleon. Harry quickly read the letter which stated:

Dear Mr. Potter

I am your account manager Silverclaw writing to inform you about the Will of your godfather and magical guardian Sirius Black. There will be a private reading tomorrow at nine in the morning of which you need to be in attendance. To make it easier for you, I have turned the galleon that came with this letter into a portkey. It will activate at 8:55 sharp, so be ready for it. I am sorry for your loss and understand how this subject may upset you, but it is imperative that you attend this meeting tomorrow. There will be negative consequences if you do not.

Sincerely

Manager Silverclaw

Harry's first reaction was to throw the letter and the galleon as far away as he could. He didn't want any of Sirius's stuff, he wanted the man to be alive. As he felt his grief and despair start to overwhelm him, he decided to go for a run to clear his head. Throwing on some old clothes (he didn't have new ones to prevent the Dursleys from finding out about his money), grabbing some of his muggle money, and putting a hat on his head, he headed down the stairs and out of the house. He ignored the looks he received from his "relatives" who were gathered in front of the tv.

When he got to the park, he stretched his muscles before starting off with a light jog. After a minute, he increased his pace and headed in the direction of the town nearby. For almost an hour, he ran, his mind focused only on his path and the sound of his feet hitting the pavement. Hedwig flew alongside him, keeping him company and watching over him, like she usually did.

After the events of his first year, Harry had started working out, wanting to be in shape the next time he faced a dangerous situation. For help, he began taking combat lessons from an old military veteran named Cole in exchange for helping the man build a house. That, in combination with the nutrient potion Madame Pomphrey gave him when she noticed his malnutrition and getting three meals a day, Harry had gone from a scrawny boy to a slim but toned young man, standing at a respectable 5'10". He was in peak condition, so an hour-long run wasn't too difficult for him.

Harry finally stopped when he realized he was reaching his limit, cooling his body down properly to avoid any injuries. Seeing he was nearby a pizza parlor, he decided to stop there for dinner and think over what the letter from Gringotts could mean. When he got inside, he took the table farthest from the door, Hedwig on his shoulders and waited to be served. Harry came there during the summer often, so the waitress wasn't fazed at the presence of his snowy owl as she came to take his order. After a few moments, he decided on a personal cheese pizza and got bacon for Hedwig. Ten minutes later, their food was in front of them and they began digging in.

After he finished eating, Harry began thinking through the implications of the Gringotts letter. Unfortunately, he realized that he couldn't ignore the letter from the bank, no matter how much he may want to. Goblins weren't known for making jokes or exaggerations, so if they said it was serious, then it most likely was. Besides, while he may not understand much about the political side of the wizarding world, he did know that Draco Malfoy through his mother Narcissa was a Black. If Sirius left him almost everything – and he suspected his godfather had – then he had to claim it, if only to keep it out of Draco's hands. Well, really Voldemort's hands since he knew the dark lord used the resources of his servants.

When Harry got back to Durzkaban, it was a little after 9 at night. He knew he wouldn't be able to go to sleep just yet, so he decided to practice his magic in an attempt to tire himself out. He opened up his special trunk that Sirius had given him for his 15th birthday. It had a few secret compartments to store different thing, but the best part was the apartment inside of it, complete with a kitchen, bedroom with a bathroom, sitting room, and training room which had muggle and magical training equipment. The latter part is where he headed, staying there for at least three hours as he worked out his frustration and sorrow. Finally, exhausted, Harry took a quick shower before climbing out of the trunk. He practically collapsed on his bed and fell asleep quickly and without any trouble.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

The next day, Harry woke up at five in the morning, getting more rest than he had since _that_ night. His rest was still plagued by nightmares, but he got more of it and felt a bit more alert. Knowing there was no chance of going back to sleep, he got up and went into his trunk to start exercising. He spent about two hours down there trying to exercise his nervousness away, feeling much better when he was done. Then he took a shower and made himself some breakfast before putting on one of the only decent outfits he had. The clothes were still too big for him, but at least they had no holes or tears.

By the time he had finished all of that, it was a few minutes after eight. He decided to work on his rune project and pulled out the materials from a small compartment in his trunk. He was trying to make a better version of the Marauder's Map, similar to some of the sci-fi movies he's watched before. The goal was to make the map holographic and have it worn on the forearm as an armband. Harry already had the design of the armband, now he was just trying to perfect the holographic part and also make it respond to voice commands. He was using runes to do it, but he hadn't figured out the right combination just yet. As he tinkered with it, he wondered who else would be invited to the meeting. _As long as it isn't Dumbledore, I don't really care_.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

While Harry was tinkering with his rune project, another person was making sure all of their things were packed as they got ready for the same meeting. When they had received the letter the evening before, many possibilities ran through their head, but the biggest one was hope. Holding onto that, the person devised a plan to get away without arousing their spouses' suspicion. They came up with a credible reason for leaving the house for a few days before thinking about everything they needed to pack. Not wanting to bring any reminders of this life with them, they only took enough muggle clothes and three robes to last them for a week, the many books they had gotten over the years, and their personal items that hadn't been tainted with bad memories. As they finished packing, they hoped their plan would give them a few days before their ruse was discovered.

Now, they were finishing packing up another bag, though this one was made to look like a trip for a few days instead of the forever that was planned. The rest of their things they had packed last night were in a shrunken trunk in their pocket. Looking at the time, they realized it was time to go, so after one last sweep of the room to make sure nothing important was missing, they apparated away, hoping they would finally get their freedom.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Before it was time to go, Harry made sure his trunk was fully packed, shrinking it so he could carry it in his pocket. He wasn't sure, but something was telling him he wouldn't be coming back here.

"Alright girl, I have to go for a meeting at Gringotts and I don't know what's going to happen," Harry said, a minute before the portkey was set to leave. "If I don't come back here, I'll call for you wherever I am." Hedwig hooted in acknowledgement a few seconds before the portkey pulled him away.

Surprising himself, Harry managed to stay standing as he landed. When his vision cleared, he looked around to see where he was, which turned out to be an office. A goblin, Manager Silverclaw most likely, was sitting behind a walnut desk wearing a slate grey suit with a navy-blue tie. He looked up when Harry arrived, beckoning him to take one of the four seats in front of his desk. Harry chose the chair on the right end.

"Good morning Mr. Potter. Thank you for coming on such short notice, but Lord Black insisted that this meeting happen before the public reading," Silverclaw greeted when Harry was seated.

"Thank you for providing the portkey for me to be able to come," Harry replied gratefully. "I may not want to be reminded of my godfather's death, but I know it's imperative that I am able to keep the Black fortune and other assets out of the hands of certain people."

"Exactly," Silverclaw agreed. The goblin was not a fan of the Malfoy family and took any chance he had to cause them grief. "We just have three more people to wait for before we can start this meeting." Harry nodded in acceptance, sitting back in his chair to wait.

At ten o'clock, the door opened, admitting Tonks, her mother Andromeda, and, to his surprise, Narcissa Malfoy. Harry looked at the last woman thoughtfully wondering why Sirius wanted her here, though he felt no animosity toward her. Even though he had issues with her husband, son, and sister Bellatrix, he had always felt that Narcissa wasn't like them. There was something about her eyes that made him feel like she was forced to act the way she did, as if she was a prisoner like him. Plus, he had a chance to meet a softer side of her when he stayed in Diagon Alley after blowing up his aunt.

At Silverclaw's insistence, the three women sat down, Tonks beside him, Andromeda by her, and Narcissa on the end.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks greeted as she sat.

"Hey Tonks, how are you holding up?" he replied, noticing that her hair was a mousy brown color, which was not normal for the usually cheerful auror.

"Bout as well as can be expected, I suppose. How are you?" she asked in return.

"Same," he answered.

"Thank you all for coming," Silverclaw greeted when everyone was settled. When all three witches responded, he continued talking. "Let's get straight to business then. Lord Black had his will changed shortly before his death. In it, he stipulated that the four of you were to attend a private reading before the public one. He left a self-reading letter for you to hear, informing you of what he left for you. Anything that is bequeathed to you from this letter is official and will be available to you immediately following this meeting." He waited for them to ask any questions, continuing when they nodded in understanding. "Very well, I will activate the letter." Silverclaw tapped his finger to the single piece of parchment on the middle of his desk. A second later it glowed, and Sirius's voice filled the room.

"Since this isn't the official reading of my Will, I'm going to skip all of that legal mumbo jumbo stuff and get right down to business. First if you're hearing this, then I am dead. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stick around, but if I died while either fighting or being with a pretty woman, then I died a good death so try not to mourn me too much. I know you're probably wondering why I only chose the four of you to hear this letter, but you will understand in a moment. To Andy and Nymphadora – and you can't curse me for that – I give you each 50,000 galleons and bring you back into the family. I've already signed the forms; they are just awaiting your signatures. I wish I could've done this sooner, but with the war going on, my imprisonment, and being on the run, there was never really any time. To Narcissa, I give you 50,000 galleons and some advice. I know you didn't choose the life you have, but there's a chance for you to get out of it now. If you're sincere in your request, he will help you, I promise you that."

Narcissa sent a glance at Harry, hoping Sirius was right. She hoped Harry would be able to forgive her for her "family's" transgressions against him and help her."

"To Harry, I leave everything else that has not been allotted for others in my official Will and emancipate you. This includes the Black lordship. I know that might seem like a big responsibility, but Andy and Narcissa can help you with it. Take this as an opportunity to have more control over your life, something you need desperately. I also hope you use the Black fortune to have some fun in your life for once. You, more than most, deserve it.

Finally, I wish I could be there to see you through this war, but I ask that you don't blame yourself for my death. Also, I don't expect to see you until after you've had a full and happy life with lots of kids. Andy, Narcissa, and Tonks, I ask that you give my godson the love and support he needs to get through this war. He hasn't been given much instruction on how to deal with the magical world and could use as much guidance as he can get.

I will be watching over you always Harry and I love all of you. Take care. So, mote it be."

The message ended, leaving the room in silence as the four humans tried to take in everything they'd heard. Silverclaw gave them a few moments to themselves before speaking again.

"Everything Mr. Black has bequeathed to you has already been prepared," Silverclaw began, focusing their attention back on him. "These are the keys to your new vaults," he stated, handing one to all of them, except for Harry who got two – one for the Black vault and one for Sirius's personal vault.

"Mrs. and Ms. Tonks, these are the forms you need to sign to become part of the Black family once again. Mr. Black's signature is already there." Silverclaw gave them blood quills and they quickly signed on the designated line, glowing as they were accepted by the Black family magic.

Then he turned to address Harry. "You have to sign this form to make your emancipation official." He handed Harry a blood quill, showing him where to sign his name. Silverclaw placed the form into an official looking box that glowed to show it was accepted. "If you are ready for it, you can take up the mantle of Lord Black right now. You won't have to announce this change in your status until the public reading, which will be in three weeks."

Harry, unsure what being a Lord meant, turned to the witches beside him for advice. "What will that mean for me?" he asked warily.

"It means that you will be in control of the Black family and all of its members," Andromeda began. "You will have the right to kick people out of or bring people into the family. You can have a say in who they marry or associate with, though you do not have to use that power if you wish not to. You will also have to take part in the Wizengamot, but you can appoint a proxy to vote in your stead if you need to do so." At Harry's confused expression, Andromeda asked him a question. "Did no one tell you anything about this? These are responsibilities you should know about for the Potter family as well."

Harry shook his head. "No, I haven't really been told much about my family name and what it means," he replied.

Andromeda sighed, upset that Harry didn't know his place in society. "Can he also become Lord Potter since he is emancipated?" she asked Silverclaw, who nodded in response. "Okay Harry, you need to take up both lordships right now, but don't worry too much. I will help you learn everything you need to know." Silently, she made a promise to ask a certain headmaster why Harry has been kept in the dark about things he needed to know.

"Okay, let's do this then," he declared. Silverclaw walked him through the short ritual, having him place both of the House rings on his left pinky. Harry was illuminated by a glow twice, signaling that both Houses accepted him as their Lords.

"Congratulations Lord Potter-Black," Silverclaw declared. "You now have access to the Potter family vault and your parents' shared personal vault." Silverclaw pulled out to more vault keys from his desk and handed them to Harry who slipped them into his pocket for the moment. "Your parents' Will was never found so everything they had is yours. Is there anything else Gringotts can help you all with?

"You should get a full list of all assets both houses have," Narcissa suggested. Harry looked at her intently, before giving her a nod of thanks.

"I can have that ready for you in two days," Silverclaw stated. Harry was disappointed about the Will but wasn't ready to visit his parents' and godfather's personal vaults just yet. He felt it would overwhelm him emotionally and he needed time to wrap his head around the fact that he was free and a lord of two houses.

When no one else had any questions, the goblin dismissed them from the room. The four of them left out of the bank together – Harry and Narcissa with disguises to hide themselves from discovery – and walked all the way to the Leaky Cauldron in silence. Narcissa was trying to summon her courage while the others were still coming to terms with the results of the meeting. Finally, as they reached the entrance to Tom's establishment, she spoke up, nervous energy filling her voice.

"Harry, would you mind having lunch with me in muggle London? There is something I wish to discuss with you," Narcissa inquired. "You and Tonks are invited of course Andromeda," she added when Harry didn't answer after a few seconds. "I need your help with something."

Harry stared her in the eyes, trying to decide if this was a trick or not. When he saw no signs of deceit or malice, he decided to hear her out. "Okay." Tonks and Andromeda also voiced their acceptance. Andromeda wondered what her estranged sister wanted with Harry, but her instincts told her that it wasn't to harm him.

Narcissa led them to a pizza parlor about three blocks away. They sat in a booth in the back of the restaurant, sitting in silence until after their food and drink orders had been taken and served.

When the silence finally got to her, Narcissa cleared her throat to get their attention before getting straight to the reason for this impromptu lunch. "Again, thank you for agreeing to talk to me."

"You're welcome. How can I help you?" Harry replied politely, still a bit wary.

"I asked you here because you are the only one who can help me, Harry." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I need you to annul my marriage with Lucius."


	2. Chapter 2

The Time Harry Stole Lucius's Wife

AN: Sorry for the delay but I'm still trying to figure out which way I want this story to go. Also, thanks to everyone who has read it so far.

Chapter 2

Harry and Tonks sat back in shock at the request, not expecting this at all. Andromeda, however, was much less surprised. This only confirmed her suspicion that Narcissa did not choose to marry the man in the first place. It gave her hope that she could have her sister back.

"Wait, you want me to end your marriage?" Harry asked for clarification. He had been thinking that she would ask for shelter during the war or something, but not this. _Maybe I'm right about her being trapped in her situation._

"Yes." Narcissa confirmed. "I have never wanted to be that man's wife. Now that you are Lord Black, I have an opportunity to be divorced from him." She paused, thinking she needed to convince him of her sincerity first. "Before you answer me, I want to apologize for the way Lucius and Draco have treated you and the harm they have caused you. I've never subscribed to the beliefs they do, but I had no choice but to pretend as if I did. Lucius is not a man I would ever have married if it was up to me. As for Draco, I tried to steer him in the right direction, but Lucius gave me very little say in his upbringing. It is not a good marriage or good life with them and definitely not something I would have chosen."

As Narcissa pulled out a folder from a pocket in her robe, Andromeda spoke up. "Mother and Father forced you to marry him?" she asked, needing confirmation.

Narcissa nodded sadly. "They did. Due to Lucius getting into a bit of trouble, I was forced to marry him at the age of fifteen, to save the Malfoy family from embarrassment. I had to drop out of school immediately. The worst part however, was the clause that stated I had to be obedient to Lucius and follow his will. It's why I couldn't visit you, Sirius, or any of my friends from school. Lucius forbid it. The only thing I managed to get out of it was the ability to take my OWLs and NEWTs."

Andromeda was distraught over the fate her younger sister was forced into. "I'm so sorry Narcissa," Andromeda exclaimed, a tear falling down her face. "I should have taken you with me when I left. I should have saved you from that."

Narcissa gave her sister a sad, watery smile. "There wasn't really anything you could have done. I was still a minor and therefore subject to our parents' will. Besides, I was glad that at least you made it out of there and were able to have good life." Then she turned back to Harry. "Lucius is a horrible excuse for a man, and I will no longer put up with him if I have to. I will do almost anything if you help me."

"Before I ask how, what do you want me to do about Draco?" Harry asked curiously. He already knew he would help her but needed to know everything before he committed.

Narcissa sighed, knowing she needed to be fully honest with him. Plus, her sister and niece deserved the truth as well. "Draco is not my son." The others had varying looks of shock on their face. "That is why I was forced to marry Lucius. He managed to impregnate a muggle-born witch whom he raped and held as his sex slave. To cover up the scandal, my parents signed a contract to pretend that I was Draco's mother. It's why I was able to get the right to take my tests added in."

"No way! That slimy git is really a half-blood? I wish I could see his face when he learns that bit of knowledge," Tonks remarked, a smirk on her face. Andromeda shook her head at her daughter but couldn't help but agree with her.

"Wow," Harry uttered in agreement. He had so many questions and comments but put them to the side for the moment. "Alright, I'll do it. Just tell me how."

Narcissa was shocked that he would help her so easily. "After all the Malfoy wizards have done to you, you would help me just like that," she exclaimed in disbelief. She was not used to a man showing kindness so openly and without any expectations.

"Yes. Lucius and Draco did those things, not you, so there is nothing for me to forgive you for. Plus, I learned that you weren't anything like them the day you helped me in Diagon Alley when I was trying to find where wrist holsters were sold. You didn't know who I was, but you helped me anyway, without hesitation."

Narcissa gasped. "That was you!" she cried.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I was so lost, and you were the only one who took the time to help me. You took me to every store I needed to go to and helped my pick out the things I needed without complaining once. After that day, I figured that someone as nice as you couldn't have possibly chosen to marry someone like Malfoy. I read up on marriage contracts and concluded that you had to be trapped in your marriage, and I was right. If I can get you out of it, I won't hesitate. I…I know what it's like to be a prisoner, forced to do things against your will. I wouldn't wish that life on anyone," he replied sincerely.

Narcissa took a moment to compose herself, Harry's earnest response and the compassion in his eyes evoked emotions that overwhelmed her a bit. After a few deep breaths, she was finally calm enough to continue. "Orion Black, Sirius's father and Lord Black at the time, managed to sneak in a clause without anyone except me noticing. It states that if Lucius commits harm against any Lord Black – past, present, or future – the current Lord Black can annul the marriage and the dowry has to be paid back in full," Narcissa explained. Andromeda read over it, seeing that was correct. "All you have to do, is state: I, Lord Black, declare the marriage between Narcissa Malfoy nee Black and Lucius Malfoy null and void due to the violation of Clause 17 Part H, so mote it be."

After Andromeda cast Obscuring and Notice-Me-Not charms around them, Harry discreetly held his wand out and repeated the phrase. Narcissa was surrounded by a glow. A minute later, a letter appeared in front of her. She picked it up and read over it quickly. The letter confirmed that her marriage was now null and void and that the dowry would be paid back in full from the Malfoy's vault.

"It worked. Thank you so much Harry. You have my full support from now on," Narcissa promised graciously. She didn't know how she was going to repay him for this.

Harry gave her one of his signature smiles. "You're welcome," he replied sincerely. For some reason, his voice and smile made Narcissa feel warm inside, but she tried to ignore that. "So, what now?" he asked the group. Being emancipated, there was no way he was going back to the Dursleys, but he didn't know where he could go for the night. Narcissa was also trying to decide where she would stay until she found a place of her own.

Andromeda correctly guessed Harry and Narcissa's dilemma. "If you'd like, both of you could stay at my house until you get situated elsewhere," she offered.

"I wouldn't want to impose," Narcissa began.

"Nonsense. You're my sister, not an imposition. Besides, it will give us a chance to make up for all of these lost years," Andromeda countered firmly, leaving no room for argument. "That goes for you as well, Harry. I need to teach you about wizarding society, laws, and customs anyway, which would be easier if you were staying with me." Seeing no way to refuse – and not really wanting to anyway – both graciously accepted the offer.

"Thank you, Mrs. Tonks," Harry replied.

"Thank you, Andromeda," Narcissa added.

"I can help you get your things, if you'd like," Tonks offered both of them.

"Thank you for the offer Tonks, but I packed all of my things before I left," Narcissa replied.

Harry started laughing, causing the witches to give him strange looks. "Sorry, but I did the same thing. I guess we both believed this meeting would give us our freedom and we were right," he explained between laughs. They joined him after that, finally relaxing now that everything was decided.

"Well, I think we should celebrate this joyous occasion," Tonks exclaimed brightly. "Aunt Narcissa is a free woman and Harry here's Lord Potter-Black."

Andromeda shook her head at her daughter fondly. "I agree with Dora. I'm sure I can make us a nice dinner. It will only be us and my husband."

"I'll make dessert," Harry added. "Think of it as my way of thanking you for opening up your home to me."

"You can bake?" Tonks asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Harry shrugged, not seeing it as a big deal.

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing about it. I thought we were supposed to be friends," Tonks argued.

"What does me not telling you about my baking ability have to do with our friendship," Harry retorted.

Andromeda cut in, before the two of them could really get going. "That would be lovely Harry." Narcissa chuckled at the two of them, seeing their chagrined appearances.

The four of them finished their meals quickly after that before leaving. Narcissa insisted on paying for them as her way of thanking them. They didn't argue against it. Then Andromeda led them back to the Leaky Cauldron where they flooed to the Tonks's home.

Once they arrived – Harry and Tonks barely managing to keep their balance as they stumbled out of the floo – Andromeda showed him and Narcissa to the rooms they would be staying in. They were on the 2nd floor and right next door to each other. Both thanked Andromeda yet again before going in to get settled while she and Tonks went downstairs to figure out what to make for dinner. Harry also made sure to let Hedwig know where he was through their bond.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Tonks went into Harry's room about a half an hour later to talk to him. She stood at the doorway for a minute just watching him as he seemed to be working on something in his hands.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you actually going to come in?" Harry asked, not looking up from what he was doing. He had detected her presence the moment she arrived.

Tonks laughed in surprise. "How do you do that?" She went to sit down on the bed with him.

Harry shrugged, putting aside the rune project he had been fiddling with. "I don't know, I just can," he replied as he turned to face her.

She shook her head at him and his unusual abilities, before remembering what she came to tell him. "Do you want to know something ironic? I had planned on taking you from the Dursleys today. Now I don't have to because you're an emancipated lord of two houses."

Harry looked at her intently. "Really? Why?" he asked seriously.

"I wasn't going to leave you with those people, not after what you've just been through. You should be with people who love you to help you get through it, not with those who hate you," Tonks replied sincerely.

Harry was touched by her explanation, though he really should have expected it. Over the past year, he and Tonks had become very close to the point that they viewed each other as siblings. Tonks had helped him practice over the summer whenever she had time and he taught her the muggle combat skills he learned from Cole. They had written to each other throughout the school year, sending coded letters when Umbridge started having the mail checked. She even helped him plan for the DA meetings and visited him during Hogsmeade weekends.

"Thanks for the thought, Dora," he stated, using the nickname she only let him and her parents use.

"That's what a big sister is for," she said before a mischievous expression formed on her face. "So, what are you going to do now that you're a legal adult?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd teach me how to apparate so I could get my license," Harry said. "Then I think I need to go on a vacation."

Tonks nodded in agreement. "Definitely can't argue with that. I'll teach you apparition, but where did you want to go for a vacation?"

"Anywhere that won't remind me of the UK," he declared.

"That's a bit of a broad answer Harry," she said with a laugh.

"It's not like I've ever been outside of the country before," Harry countered a bit irritated by her teasing.

Tonks threw her arm around his shoulders to calm him down. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out, though I suggest somewhere warm with a beach."

Harry laughed at her answer. "I guess that'll work, though that still doesn't rule out enough places."

Tonks was about to say something when Narcissa appeared in the doorway. "Sorry for eavesdropping, but I'd suggest somewhere in France. I've heard you already know the language and it's really nice this time of year. There's even a lovely magical town in Nice and you own a chateau there through the Black family." Harry had felt her presence as well so wasn't surprised like Tonks.

"_Nice_ suggestion Auntie," Tonks exclaimed, playing on the word. Harry laughed while Narcissa shook her head at her niece. "Sorry, couldn't resist. That is a good place to go though, Harry. It definitely won't remind you of the UK."

"I'll have to think about it, but it sounds like a good idea. Thanks for your help Narcissa," Harry said after a moment of thought.

"Glad to help," Narcissa replied, a soft smile on her face.

Harry looked at his watch before remembering that he was supposed to make a dessert. "I should go down to the kitchen to figure out what to bake," he said before getting up and walking out of the room.

"Hey, do you want some help?" Tonks asked, following behind him.

"No thanks. I'd rather not burn down your mother's kitchen when she just opened up her home to me. Makes for a rather bad way to repay her kindness, don't you think Nymphadora?" Harry was already running down the stairs before he finished talking. Tonks ran after him with her wand drawn, chasing him all the way into the kitchen while Narcissa laughed her first full-belly laugh she'd had in a long time as she watched them. _This is what it feels like to be home,_ she thought happily before following them.

When she arrived in the kitchen, Harry was tied up on the floor, his skin was unnaturally red, and his hair was blue, Tonks was standing over him laughing, and Andromeda was shaking her head at them both.

"Come on Tonks, don't you think you've done enough. Untie me," Harry pleaded, though Narcissa could hear the amusement in his tone.

"No, I think you should stay there for a little longer for using _that _name," Tonks countered.

Harry turned to Narcissa, a mischievous look on his face. "I wouldn't want to put Mrs. Tonks into the difficult position of choosing between her daughter and the Lord of our family, but you'll help me right Narcissa?"

Amused by his antics, Narcissa decided to play along. "Sorry my dear niece, but I can't in good conscience refuse the request of our Lord, not after he just saved me." She pulled out her wand and quickly untied the ropes from him and changed his hair and skin back to their natural color. She didn't have to use her wand, but it was a habit for her to use it around others.

"At least someone knows how to show proper respect for their Lord. Thank you Narcissa. I shall endeavor to reward you for your loyalty," Harry stated with mock-arrogance. They all were able to hold it in for only a moment before bursting out with laughter.

"Well, now that we've gotten that out of our system, I really do need to decide on a dessert to make," Harry said when they had all quieted down. He scratched his anchor-style beard in thought before asking them all a question. "Does everyone like chocolate, including Mr. Tonks?"

"Harry, you can never go wrong with chocolate in this family," Andromeda said, answering for all of them as the two other witches nodded in response. "What did you have in mind?"

"My own version of chocolate cake. I came up with it after quite a bit of experimentation, but I've been told that it's good," he replied, already thinking of all of the ingredients he would need.

"Sounds like my kind of celebration," Tonks remarked happily, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"What ingredients will you need?" Andromeda asked, wondering what was in this special cake.

"I'll probably have to go to the store to pick most of them up," Harry said before he was cut off.

"I'll take you," Tonks exclaimed, a bit too excitedly. Harry gave her a strange look before agreeing, seeing no reason not to. She dragged him out before he could change his mind, exiting the house through the front door. When they got outside, Tonks explained that she wanted to give her mom and Narcissa time to talk in private. Harry didn't try to protest after that, though the way she was pulling him along tempted him at times.

\- T. .L.W. –

Meanwhile, an awkward silence surrounded the two formerly estranged sisters as they tried to think of what to say to each other. Andromeda went back to seasoning the ground beef she would need to make the lasagna for dinner as she thought of what to say. She had decided on a 3-cheese lasagna with asparagus and garlic bread. Something good, but simple.

"You raised a lovely daughter," Narcissa said softly, trying to break the silence.

Andromeda smiled fondly as she thought about Tonks. "Yes. Ted and I are definitely proud of the woman Nymphadora has become. She hasn't had an easy time of it, being a metamorphmagus and the daughter of a supposed blood traitor, but she has managed to make the best of it. While she definitely has a mischievous streak, she is determined, hard-working, kind, and loyal. She rose above all of the stereotypes to become not only the top auror in her class, but one of the best in DMLE."

Narcissa smiled at that. "What about you and Ted?"

"As you know, I became a lawyer. I work in the magical and muggle world. Ted works as a pediatric psychologist in the muggle world and consults with St. Mungo's as a mind healer for kids. Despite all of the odds and barriers we have faced, the two of us have managed to build quite the life for ourselves. A life full of love and acceptance, something our family unfortunately didn't understand.

"I really am glad that at least got to have a good life," Narcissa stated, repeating what she said earlier. "It made it easier to deal with everything knowing that my favorite sister wasn't suffering the life I was. Even if she thought I had betrayed her."

Andromeda sighed. "I didn't really believe you had, though I couldn't have guessed that you were forced into an obedience contract. I thought you had decided to succumb to our parents' way of life because you thought I betrayed you."

Narcissa laughed bitterly. "No. Lucius may have been able to keep me from my family, from you, but I would never think like _them_."

"What did you do when you weren't being paraded around by him then?" Andromeda asked, curious on how her sister was able to keep her sanity while living a life that completely went against her beliefs.

"I traveled, got my mastery in charms and potions, and made a friend who was completely unconnected to anyone in Magical Britain," Narcissa began. "Lucius underestimated me and believed I had completely submitted myself to his will, so he didn't question anytime I wanted to leave the country. He didn't take much interest in me most of the time anyway and he wanted me to have as little influence on Draco as possible." Narcissa didn't mention her abuse at the man's hands, not ready to talk about it.

Andromeda could tell that her sister was downplaying her treatment at Lucius's hand, but decided to focus on the other aspects. "Congratulations on your masteries," she replied, proud of what her sister was able to accomplish despite her situation. "Where did you go and who is this friend of yours?" Andromeda continued working on dinner as her sister began talking.

Narcissa smiled fondly as she thought of the few bright spots in her life. "At first, I traveled everywhere, just trying to remind myself of the beauty of life. It helped to hold on to those memories in addition to the ones from my old life when things got dark. Then, about five years ago, I decided to go to Japan. Instead of going to the well-known areas, I went to one of the smaller islands to explore it. That's when I met Makoto. She saw how lost I was and brought me to her village, taking me in to her home. I stayed there for an entire month and she taught me many things and helped me unlock a part of my magic that I didn't even know was bound." A look of anger appeared on her face.

"What's wrong?" Andromeda asked in concern when Narcissa didn't speak for over a minute.

"Apparently, since I'm magically more powerful than Lucius, _they _thought it would be a good idea to put blocks on my magic. They wanted to make it easier for him to control me," Narcissa spat furiously before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Anyway, Makoto removed the blocks and helped me to learn a lot about myself and my abilities. She showed me that I was one of the rare magicals capable of wandless magic." To demonstrate this, Narcissa opened the refrigerator door and took out the pitcher of water. She did the same thing to the cabinet to retrieve a cup, filling that cup up as well before putting everything except for the cup back. She never drew her wand and only used hand gestures.

"That is impressive indeed," Andromeda remarked after she got over her shock.

"I can do almost all magic this way now, though it took a lot of practice to get this good at it. According to Makoto, this is a rare ability that isn't inherited or passed down through the blood. It randomly shows up in times of great turmoil to very powerful witches and wizards. Even Voldemort and Dumbledore have to use their wands, yet I don't," Narcissa explained smugly. "Anyway, would you mind some assistance with dinner? No point in simply standing here when I could be helping you."

Andromeda voiced her agreement before the two sisters began working and conversing together. There were still moments of silence, but it was no longer awkward. By the time Harry and Tonks got back from the store, the two of them had already made progress in repairing their relationship.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

The four of them spent the rest of the time cooking and baking to get to know more about each other. They shared positive stories about their time at Hogwarts and some of the mischief they got into. Narcissa decided to embarrass her sister by mentioning some stories about their childhood and the things Andromeda got up to. Tonks and Andromeda also described their jobs and the things they dealt with on a daily basis. There was nothing but good vibes surrounding the kitchen as they talked.

This is the scene that Ted Tonks walked in to when he got home from work. "Umm, Andy, I didn't know we were having guests tonight," he stated as he stopped at the entrance to the kitchen in surprise.

"Wotcher Dad, we had a few surprises at the Gringotts meeting," Tonks said.

Andromeda almost face-palmed herself as she realized she had forgotten to call Ted and tell him what happened during the meeting. "Sorry dear, I meant to call you after the meeting. I'll give you the full story later but basically Dora and I got brought back into the Black family, Harry became Lord Potter-Black, and Narcissa's marriage was annulled. Since they didn't know where to stay until they get their own place, I invited them to stay with us."

Ted shook his head in amusement before properly greeting his guests. "Well, however it happened, I'm glad you're here. It's nice to finally meet you Narcissa Black, my wife's always spoken fondly of you." Ted stated, pulling the surprised witch in for a hug. Then he turned to Harry. "It's nice to finally meet you as well, Harry," Ted said, shaking his hand.

"It's nice to meet you to sir," Harry replied.

"Dora's told me all about you. It's good to know that you aren't anything like the media makes you out to be, not that I believe most of that rubbish anyway," Ted noted.

Harry shrugged. "Unfortunately, the media's pretty much the same in the muggle and magical world. They tend to care more about sensationalism than real stories."

"That is very true. Sad, but true," Ted agreed.

Ted went upstairs to freshen up, returning a few minutes later to join in the conversation. Everyone sat at the kitchen table as they waited for the lasagna to finish baking. Harry's cake, which he managed to prevent the others from learning the recipe of, had already finished baking and was now in the fridge to cool. When they told Ted about it, he looked at Harry and said, "They will never let you leave the house now. The Black women love their chocolate," causing everyone to laugh in agreement. There were no awkward pauses in their conversation as everyone acted like they'd known each other for a long time instead of the first real visit that it was.

When the food was finally done, Harry got up to help Andromeda set the table. "Everything smells delicious Mrs. Tonks," Harry exclaimed as he sat the pan of lasagna on the table.

"Please Harry, call me Andromeda. We're family after all," she replied. "And thank you. I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

"That goes for me too, Harry. Call me Ted," Ted added.

"Thank you," Harry replied softly, grateful for their complete acceptance of him.

Once the table was set, everyone dug into the meal, complimenting Andromeda after their first bite. During dinner, Ted told them about his day at work and they explained in more detail what happened at the Gringotts meeting. Harry also told them that he was upset with Dumbledore for keeping information he had a right to know from him, though he didn't go into too much detail. The others, wanting to respect his privacy, didn't push him about it. They hoped they would be able to gain his trust enough for him to tell them eventually though.

Harry brought out the cake and cut it into slices when everyone was finished eating the lasagna. Andromeda got everyone glasses of water while Narcissa put the slices onto plates and handed them out to everyone.

"Are you going to tell us what's in them now?" Tonks asked impatiently.

"Not until you take a bite," Harry remarked with a smirk.

Before Tonks could verbalize her retort, Andromeda cut in. "Dora, just eat your cake."

Harry watched nervously as they took a bite, hoping they would like it.

"Harry, this is incredible," Narcissa exclaimed, losing all of her decorum as she enjoyed her first bite. It was without doubt the best chocolate dessert she had ever eaten.

The rest of the family also praised his baking skills, with Ted stating that Harry could use the kitchen anytime the urge took him.

"What is in this?" Tonks asked in bewilderment as she took another bite.

Harry scratched at his beard thoughtfully, taking his time before answering. When Tonks brandished her wand at him, he finally gave in. "Alright, no need to resort to violence over it. It's my version of chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped cream frosting. There's also expresso mixed in there somewhere as well. It took a bit of trial and error, but eventually I figured it out."

"Yes, you definitely figured it out," Andromeda agreed as she thoroughly enjoyed her slice. They continued to talk for over an hour longer, this time the discussion on what else Harry could make. He mentioned the name of the woman who taught him, Sarah, though he didn't go into much detail about her. He told them how he helped her out around the house in exchange for cooking lessons. The Dursleys didn't know about the cooking lessons, believing that she was paying him for his work. They only went along with it because they took any money he earned from her for themselves.

Before Harry went to sleep that night, he realized that this is what family was supposed to feel like. He'd seen it from the Weasleys, but with them he still felt like an outsider. Here with the Tonks family and Narcissa, however, he felt like he always belonged there, and they were simply waiting for him to find his way to them.


	3. Chapter 3

The Time Harry Stole Lucius's Wife

AN: This is a bit of a slower chapter but I hope you still enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 3

Being free from their respective prisons had a profound effect on Harry and Narcissa. For the first time in a while, neither of them had to watch what they said for fear of upsetting those around them. They didn't have to hide who they were or conform themselves to fit others' expectation. They were able to talk and laugh freely and were enjoying every bit of it. Unfortunately, all of those good things didn't prevent them from having nightmares.

After having not gone to sleep until 12 in the morning, Harry was awoken at 3 from his nightmares. Thankfully, he remembered to apply a silencing ward around his room, so he didn't wake up the rest of the house with his screams. Just like with the other ones, he had to watch Sirius and all of his friends die over and over again without being able to stop it. To take his mind off of them, Harry went into his trunk to exercise and destroy several training dummies. He worked out his emotions for a little over two hours, taking a shower when he was finally done. Then he threw on some clothes before heading downstairs, deciding to make breakfast since he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep nor did he want to.

Narcissa, who had also been awakened by her own nightmares, was already sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea when he got down there. She looked up as he entered, seeing the tired look in his eyes.

"Have trouble sleeping?" she asked him gently.

"Yeah, you too?" he replied. She nodded in response before sipping from her cup. "Well, I'm about to make something for breakfast. Cooking helps me feel better sometimes." He paused, looking at her intently before asking her a question. "Do you have any requests?"

Narcissa thought for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she should take him up on his offer. "Since you're asking, I haven't had some good French toast in a while."

Harry gave her a small smile. "French toast it is then." He searched around the kitchen for ingredients and decided to make eggs, bacon, and a fresh fruit salad to go along with it. When he had all of the ingredients, he spread them out on the counter and began working on drying out the French bread and mixing up the French toast mixture. After a moment, Narcissa offered to help him and he had her start cutting up the fruit for him. They worked together in silence at first, though it was a comfortable one. Even though they didn't really know much about each other, they didn't feel the awkwardness around each other as you would expect from two strangers.

"I've thought about it and I've figured out a good way to pay you back for saving me," Narcissa announced after a few moments of silence. She'd had a short conversation with Tonks last night who helped her decide on a way to help Harry. The Metamorph even gave her gave her suggestions on how Harry learned best from her own experience with the young wizard.

"You don't have…" Harry began before he was cut off.

"Yes, I do. My marriage was not a good one and I don't know how much longer I would have lasted in it. It was made even worse by Voldemort's return to power," she stated, trying to convey how bad her situation had been without going into detail. She saw the surprise in his eyes at her use of Voldemort's name, but pushed on. "To repay you, I'm going to teach you how to do wandless magic."

Harry stopped mixing up the egg mixture he was working on as he turned to look at Narcissa in shock. "You can do magic wandlessly?"

She proved it in the same manner she did to Andromeda yesterday, opening the refrigerator and putting the finished fruit salad inside before closing it up. She did all of this with a few gestures of her hand. "It's a very rare skill, but something tells me that you will be capable of it."

"That's incredible. Can you do all magic that way?" he asked in amazement.

Narcissa nodded, smiling at the stunned look on his face. "Almost all, yes."

"I humbly accept your tutelage, Mistress Black," Harry replied in a mock regal tone while bowing dramatically.

She shook her head at him in amusement, though she was happy to be able to help him. "Very well. We will start working on it after breakfast. If that's okay with you?"

Harry nodded in agreement. "Sounds perfect," he said in excitement.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Andromeda, Ted, and Tonks walked into the kitchen at around 7 surprised at what they saw. Harry and Narcissa were just finishing setting the table for breakfast and everything looked good. After getting over their shock, they all sat down and quickly filled their plates, thanking the two chefs for the unexpected meal. The two chefs waved it off, explaining that they both had a hard time sleeping and figured they might as well make breakfast since they were already up. While the Tonks were concerned for the two of them, they decided not to broach the subject just yet.

When everyone finished eating, the Tonks left for their respective jobs with Andromeda promising to start teaching him about politics and pureblood society when she got home. Narcissa led Harry to sit down on the floor in the living room when everyone had gone so she could start teaching him.

"Now, before we begin, can you remember any time after you started school where you were able to cast a spell or do any magic without your wand?" she asked him when they were both sitting on the floor with their legs crossed.

Harry scratched his beard for a moment in thought. "Oh yeah. Last summer when I dropped my wand while trying to get away from the Dementors, I was able to light it so I could find it. Then I summoned it to me."

"That's a really good example Harry," Narcissa said in excitement. It was a good sign that he would be able to do magic wandlessly since it was an intentional and conscious example. "Now, the first thing I need you to do is feel your magic within you. Have you practiced Occlumency?"

"Yeah, Dora taught me this past year," he replied. Dumbledore had tried to have Snape teach him during the school year, but Tonks had already done so.

"Good. I want you to get into that same meditative trance, but instead of getting into your mindscape, I want you to try and reach out to the core of your magic. When you find it, examine how it feels and how it responds to you." Harry did as he was instructed, closing his eyes to help him concentrate as he searched out for the source of his magic. It took him about twenty minutes to find it, though it felt like much longer.

_So, this is what my magic feels like?_ he thought as he examined his core. It was comforting and familiar and Harry simply surrounded himself in it for several minutes. Then he opened his eyes up and turned to face Narcissa. "I found it," he announced.

Narcissa gave him a small smile. "That's very good Harry. Now I want you to try and concentrate it to your dominant hand. The goal is to try and sort of manifest your magic around your hand so that it glows. It may take a while for you to do it, so don't get discouraged or give up." She didn't want to give him too many instructions, having learned from Tonks last night that Harry flourished best when he was allowed to figure most of it out on his own.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement before closing his eyes yet again. This time he tried to direct his magic to his right hand. He sat there for over two hours until he finally began to feel his magic moving according to his will. Slowly, he guided it to his hand, focusing all of his mind on the task. Then, when it got there, he willed his hand to glow. It took a few minutes for him to realize he should try and light his hand like he lights his wand. A couple of minutes later, he figured it out and opened his eyes up, his face lighting up at his glowing hand.

"I did it!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. He looked around and noticed that Narcissa wasn't sitting in front of him. Before he went to look for her, he did it three more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Narcissa was in the kitchen making sandwiches when he found her. "Have you managed to do it or are you taking a break?" she asked him as he sat down at the table, looking up from what she was doing.

"I can do it," Harry replied with a proud smile on his face before he made his hand glow again. It still took him a few minutes, but he hoped practice would allow him to do it instantly.

She was very happy for him, though she wasn't too surprised. "Excellent Harry. You managed to do that faster than I did. It took me at least 5 hours before I got it."

Harry shrugged humbly. "So, what do we do next?"

"Well, first, you need to eat lunch. Then there's a small test you will have to do to officially confirm whether you are able to do it, though I have little doubt that you will fail it," Narcissa explained. Harry nodded in acknowledgement and they started eating shortly afterward. As they ate, Narcissa talked about Makoto and recited the story of how she met the woman while traveling in Japan. She explained how Makoto helped her learn about her wandless magic capabilities as well as the block that was put on her magic by her parents. Harry was upset about the blocks and added the offense to his already long list of reasons why he disliked Malfoy. Narcissa was a bit surprised by his defense of her, though she ignored the slightly inappropriate emotions it evoked in herself.

Then Narcissa went into an explanation of the history of the ability. Those who had the ability were known as an archmage, or archmagi collectively, and it is believed that modern witches and wizards are descended from them. No one really knows what happened to them or why the ability is so rare, though there are many different theories that have arisen throughout the ages. Now, the ability only showed up in times of coming darkness and those who were born with it were destined to fight against that darkness, something that made Narcissa wonder why she was given the ability in the first place. Archmagi were naturally the most powerful witches and wizards at the time, though they still had to work hard to achieve their full potential. This included physical, mental, and emotional training. All three had to be strong in order for archmagi to be able to access and handle the magical power flowing through their body. One thing that is agreed upon by general consensus is that it wasn't something that could be mimicked or artificially created no matter how many rituals you put yourself through – you were either born with it or not.

Once they were done eating, Narcissa ran up to her room for a few minutes. She came back downstairs with a small, black cube which she handed to Harry. It had several runes etched into it, piquing his interest as he examined it. "This is the cube of the archmagi," Narcissa began. "It is an ancient device used to detect if someone has the ability or not. All you have to do is touch your hand that's surrounded by your magic to it and it will either make the cube glow or not. If it glows, you have it. If it doesn't, you don't. Simple as that."

Harry voiced his understanding before concentrating on pulling his magic back to his hand. After a few minutes, his hand was glowing yet again, and he picked up the cube with it. Instantly, the cube began to glow brightly signifying that he was indeed an archmage.

"Well, now that everything's official, I want you to continue to practice calling your magic up until it's an unconscious movement. Then we can start working on some specific spells," Narcissa said after a moment.

"Yes Mistress," he replied, earning an eyeroll from Narcissa.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Harry and Narcissa spent the next few hours in the living room, with Harry practicing and Narcissa reading a book on potions. While they worked, Harry couldn't help but send Narcissa quick glances as he realized just how attractive the woman was. He couldn't understand why anyone would want to mistreat her. Lucius had to be a complete idiot and he was glad that he'd been able to get her out of that bad situation. Narcissa noticed his glances but brushed them off as him simply trying to figure her out. Her low self-esteem prevented her from believing that she was an attractive woman.

When Andromeda and Ted came home from work, they told them about their discovery, something both were excited about it and congratulated Harry. Andromeda also told them that she was off for the next two weeks so she could start helping Harry learn about his place in society and to spend time with her sister. She, along with Narcissa, went over a few things with Harry, explaining a bit about the Wizengamot and what it meant to have a seat on the council. Then Ted took Harry to his office where they talked about sports to give Narcissa and Andromeda some sister bonding time.

Tonks didn't get home until dinner time, having had to attend an Order meeting beforehand. "Dumbledore knows that you're missing, Harry" she informed them as they all sat around the table to eat. "Everyone's worried about you and he's sending them out to start searching places you might have gone. He asked me if you talked to me about running away."

"What'd you tell him?" Harry asked.

"That he shouldn't have expected you to stay there with those people after what you had been through," Tonks smirked. "I didn't want to say anything else until I talked to you about it though."

"Thanks Dora," Harry stated, grateful that she didn't give him away. "He'll probably start contacting and personally visiting all of my friends to see if I'm with them though."

Tonks nodded in agreement. "True, but this will be one of the last places he'll look."

"Even still, you should probably write him a letter to stop him from wasting the Order's time looking for you," Andromeda suggested lightly. "I understand that you're upset with him but it's best that you don't make him an enemy unless he forces you to."

Harry sighed, knowing that Andromeda was right. "I know, but I don't have to like it. Still, the Order has more important things to do than control my life. I'll write one tonight, though I won't meet with him until I'm ready. There's still some things I need to figure out first." Everyone agreed with his decision and the conversation soon moved to less heavy topics.

"I wonder when Lucius will figure out that I've left him?" Narcissa pondered aloud during a lull in the conversation.

Harry shook his head in exasperation. "I still can't believe the slimy git managed to get away." Lucius had managed to portkey away from the Ministry before the aurors had started to round up the Death Eaters, thereby saving himself from being arrested. Also, Fudge wouldn't listen to anyone who claimed that Lucius was there because it would look bad if he was associated with a Death Eater. So, Lucius got to keep his freedom instead of rotting in a cell in Azkaban like he deserved.

Tonks nodded in agreement. "I know, but at least now he doesn't have control of the Black family assets. I honestly wish I could see his face when he realizes what happened."

Everyone laughed as Narcissa spoke up. "He will likely freak out and try to bully his way out of trouble. After failing to bring the prophecy to Voldemort, losing the Black family money and seat will definitely get him into serious trouble."

"I'm more interested in how young Draco will react," Harry smirked in amusement. "I imagine that he'll throw a huge fit, especially when he finds out that he's not the pureblood he's been raised to believe he is."

"Well it's about time those two have been taken down a peg," Ted added. "My mum always told me that eventually all people get what they deserve. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for that to happen."

While the others were musing on the Malfoys' reactions, Andromeda was thinking about the political implications of it. "Lucius's loss of power in the Wizengamot will likely cause a power vacuum that many will try to fill. In fact, this will be a good opportunity to start gaining some allies among the neutral families."

"That's true," Narcissa observed. "You might even be able to gain enough support to get Fudge removed from the Minster's office. We should take advantage of the opportunity before us. That way we could nominate someone who will be able to handle this war the correct way and actually get some things done."

"Who would we nominate though?" Harry asked, interested in the idea of a Minister of Magic who wouldn't try to hinder the war effort.

Surprisingly, it was Tonks who answered the question. "Actually, I think my boss, Amelia Bones, would be a good candidate. She's known for being intelligent and fair and has earned a lot of respect. She's one of the only Heads of a Department who isn't corrupt or bribable. Plus, she's strong and courageous enough to fight a war seeing as she was on the front lines of the first one."

"She is a good choice. Good thinking Dora," Andromeda remarked, complimenting her daughter. "We should probably set up a meeting with her to discuss it."

"Amelia is definitely a good candidate, especially since she doesn't blindly trust Dumbledore or anyone else for that matter," Narcissa said. "I need to talk to her as well. There is some information I have that she might be able to make some use of concerning my ex and his friends."

Harry, not really knowing much about the woman personally, decided to trust their judgement. Plus, Amelia did hear him out during his trial, standing up to Fudge at the time, something that earned her a bit of his respect. "Okay, sounds like a plan, though I want to know a bit more about politics before we meet with her." The three witches assented to his request, with Andromeda and Narcissa promising to start teaching him as much as they could starting tomorrow. They all finished their dinner soon after and went to bed.

Once in his room, Harry pulled out some parchment to write a letter to Dumbledore as well as his friends – Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna. He told his friends that he was safe, not to worry about him, and he promised to keep in touch with them as often as he could. Dumbledore's letter was a bit longer than the others and he had to rewrite it several times until he got it right. Eventually, this is what he decided on.

To Professor Dumbledore

Knowing you, I assume that you have discovered my departure from the Dursleys by now. If you haven't, then you know now. After losing my godfather and having information that I should have known about long before a long time ago dumped on me, I decided that I would not spend another summer with people who hate me. At this point, I feel like I need a bit of a break before I lose my mind, a break that is long overdue. All you need to know right now is that I'm safe and with people who care about me. Don't waste the Order's time trying to look for me.

When I'm ready to talk to you, I will let you know. I ask that you please respect my privacy and give me time to start healing from everything I've suffered through this past school year.

Sincerely,

H.J.P.

When he was done, Harry sent the letters off with Hedwig as she went hunting before laying down to go to sleep.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

The next day was pretty uneventful until later on. Ted and Tonks went to work with Andromeda staying home since she was on vacation at the moment. Harry spent the day learning about politics and laws with Narcissa and Andromeda and practicing his exercise for wandless magic. They explained what the Wizengamot was, its purpose, and how it worked in more detail than last night. Andromeda described some of the laws that governed it while Narcissa gave a brief overview of the current political climate and possible ways for him to influence it to reduce the power of Voldemort's followers.

When they took breaks from that, Harry worked on his rune project, which he had to explain to the two witches. Both were impressed at his work and Narcissa wondered if he would be able to pass the NEWT in the subject. From the complexity of the runic schemes he had written down, she believed he could and considered bringing up the issue sometime in the near future. Harry knew that he was close to figuring out the right scheme to make his idea to work, he just needed to make a few more adjustments. He also showed them some of the other ideas he was working on, such as some type of communicator, or comms as he called them, and a hoverboard, both of which he was close to figuring out as well.

"What's a hoverboard?" Narcissa asked, having never heard of it before. Andromeda had a general idea that was confirmed by his response.

"It's like a skateboard, but it 'hovers' a few feet above the ground and water. Well at least that's the goal," he explained with a smile. Narcissa, having learned of skateboards from her travels around the world, nodded in understanding.

During lunch, Harry received replies from his friends and Dumbledore. His friends were mostly glad that he was safe. They all understood why he didn't want to stay with the Dursleys after what he'd been through, having an idea that his "home" life was not good. Hermione, however, was concerned about him running away without telling anyone and wanted to know why he had a problem with Dumbledore. Knowing that the girl wouldn't let it go until he explained himself, Harry promised himself that he would reply to her concerns later tonight.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, tried to guilt trip Harry into returning to the Dursley's for his "own good." The old man expressed his disappointment in Harry for putting not only himself but his "family" in danger. He even had the nerve to try and make him feel guilty about wanting a break, saying it was a selfish thought. Then he tried to demand that Harry meet with him tomorrow at the Dursley's house. If it wasn't for Narcissa, Harry would have destroyed a few things in his anger. Fortunately, she was able to calm him down surprisingly easily and he decided to ignore the letter and the requested meeting instead. Andromeda also reminded Harry of his status as an emancipated Lord which gave him the upper hand now, so he didn't have to succumb to anyone's wishes if he didn't want to.

At dinner, Harry and Narcissa received unexpected letters from Gringotts. In addition to being informed that Silverclaw had a full list of all of his assets completed and ready, the goblin also needed to see both of them about a time sensitive matter. They looked at everyone else with confusion written on their faces.

"What is it?" Ted asked, the same question reflected on Andromeda's and Tonks's faces.

Narcissa let Harry speak first. "Along with having a full list of all of my assets completed, Silverclaw says he needs to see me about a time sensitive matter."

"Me as well," Narcissa stated. "I can't figure out what it might be about, though." Narcissa was a bit worried that it had something to do with her recently annulled marriage.

Andromeda and Tonks had ideas about what it might be, but decided it was best if they hear it from Silverclaw. "Well, whatever it is, it seems you need to go to Gringotts tomorrow," Tonks pointed out. "Since I'm off tomorrow, I can go with you if you'd like."

"Yes, I'll come as well," Andromeda agreed. "We can go in the morning, preferably before Diagon Alley gets too busy."

"Thank you, both," Narcissa replied distractedly. Harry nodded in acknowledgement as well. Both of their minds were a bit busy trying to figure out what they would find out and the others gave them time to contemplate it.

The rest of dinner was finished in relative silence and soon enough, they were all going to their respective room for the night. Harry and Narcissa took a bit longer to go to sleep, their minds still swirling around with ideas. Harry even forgot to write to Hermione because his mind was too occupied. Andromeda was also kept up for a bit after Ted went to sleep as she wondered how the two of them would react if her suspicion was correct.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

The next morning, Harry, Narcissa, Andromeda, and Tonks were up and ready early. Ted, who had just started eating breakfast when they were about to leave, wished them good luck. He also promised to help them out with whatever they found out at the bank. "Don't worry about it too much. Whatever happens, you don't have to face it alone. You have us to help you through it now," he stated.

With those words of encouragement, the four of them flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. Narcissa and Harry made sure to put on disguises to avoid being recognized. Thankfully, the Alley was almost completely empty, and they were able to walk to Gringotts without bumping into anyone. The bank was empty as well and a minute after they walked through the doors, they were sitting down in Silverclaw's office. This time, Harry and Narcissa were sitting in the middle with Tonks and Andromeda on their sides respectively.

"Thank you for coming so promptly," Silverclaw greeted once they were settled. "Let me tell you about your assets before we get to the more urgent matter." When they all nodded in acceptance, Silverclaw pushed forward a folder full of parchment before he continued. "Very well. Now both the Black and Potter families were well off and despite Malfoy's usage of the Black fortune, you still have enough to live comfortably without running out anytime soon. There are several companies that you have stock in, though only a few are a controlling share. You also own six properties around the world. Some of them are in need of repair, but you have enough money to fix them if you so desire. The specifics of all of your assets – money, stock, and property – are listed in this folder."

Silverclaw handed it to them and gave them time to peruse through it for a moment. Harry was a bit overwhelmed when he saw just how wealthy he was now, though he pushed it to the side for a moment. As he got to the property list and realized that he now owned Grimmauld Place, anger and despair threatened to rise to the surface. Narcissa noticed the slight change in his demeanor and placed her hand on his arm to help calm him down. He gave her a nod of thanks once he was calm before turning back to the folder.

Narcissa, having picked up on something Silverclaw said, voiced a question running through her mind. "Manager Silverclaw, are there any properties the families might have that Gringotts does not know of?"

Silverclaw gave her a goblin-style grin, happy that someone picked up on that. "I can't say for the Black family, but I believe it's possible that James and Lily Potter were having a house built during the war. The original Potter manor was destroyed during the war, but it's rumored that there is a piece of land the family owned that was hidden from all public record. If that's true, it would be a good place to hide from a certain Dark Lord. There's also a trunk in their personal vault that is inaccessible to anyone except Lord Potter-Black which lends credence to the theory as well." Everyone was intrigued by that piece of information.

"I'll have to visit their vault before we leave then," Harry stated, curious to see if that was true.

"Indeed, Lord Potter-Black," Silverclaw remarked, pausing before he focused back onto the urgent news, he had discovered yesterday evening. He had come across the surprise in the Potter vault on accident when he decided to do a final walkthrough of all of Harry's vaults. When he realized what it was, he immediately drafted a letter to Harry and Narcissa as he tried to get over his own shock. Now he was just hoping that the two of them would take the news well. After all, he kind of liked the young and polite lord.

"Now for the main reason I called you here so urgently," Silverclaw stated. "Before I begin, I want you to know that I did not learn of this matter until yesterday evening and I wrote to you immediately afterward. This will come as a shock to you, but it is a time sensitive matter, so you unfortunately won't have much time to come to terms with it." Silverclaw paused again to emphasize the seriousness of the matter.

Everyone's anxiety only increased with his words and they were worried about what he had to say. It was Andromeda who spoke up when Silverclaw's pause had gone on long enough. "What is it, Manager Silverclaw?"


	4. Chapter 4

The Time Harry Stole Lucius's Wife

AN: I really meant to finish this during the weekend, but I've been sick for two weeks, so it was hard to concentrate on it. Plus, this chapter gave me a bit of trouble trying to figure out how much to put in it, but I eventually figured it out. At least I think I did. Also, I may be a little late with the next chapter since I have to catch up with some things I've been neglecting while I was sick, but I'll try and finish it as fast as I can.

* * *

Chapter 4

Flashback Start

James and Sirius had just finished a successful mission for the Order and decided to stop at a nearby muggle pub to celebrate their accomplishment. With his son Harry having just been born a few months ago, James had very little time to spend with his best friend, what with being in hiding and trying to raise a little boy during a war. Sirius came over often enough to check on his godson, but they rarely had any "guy time" together.

"Alright Padfoot, only a few drinks and then I have to get back home. I don't want Lily to get too worried," James stated as they sat down in a booth in a back corner of the pub.

"Don't worry Prongs, I'll have you home soon enough," Sirius replied unconcernedly. "Just take this opportunity to relax a little. With the war and raising a son, you need to let off a little steam mate. Don't want you going insane under pressure after all."

James looked at his brother in all but blood seriously, before agreeing with him. He was under a lot of stress after all. "Alright Padfoot, but not too much. I'm serious."

Sirius cheered dramatically before buying them their first round of drinks. That round turned into several rounds as the two friends got completely carried away. Soon they were drunk off their butts and saying all kinds of ridiculous things. They also were slurring their words badly and would be grateful that they remembered to put a Muffliato ward around themselves for privacy. After talking for over two hours, James became melancholic and started voicing some of the worries plaguing his mind.

"Hey Siri, you think I'll make it through the war?" James asked sadly.

Sirius, not wanting to contemplate that possibility, protested loudly. "Of course, you will Jamie. You gotta stay alive to see Harry grow up."

"But what if I don't. What if that nose-less freak finds us? What if he gets me and Lils and Harry is left all alone? I might not get to see him grow up?" James was starting to freak out a bit, prompting Sirius to try and calm him down as best he could.

"Don't be like that mate?" Sirius tried, though he also worried about dying in the war. They risked their lives every day and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to be there for his godson either.

"I just want him to be happy, Padfoot. How can I make sure of that if I can't even promise I'll live?" James asked as seriously as a drunk man could while sloshing some of the liquid out of his cup as he swung his arms out wide in frustration.

Sirius slowly scratched his head at that, trying to figure out a way to help his friend. It was a few minutes before an idea came to him, though it wasn't necessarily a good one. "I got it!" he exclaimed, banging his hand on the table dramatically. "What if we set him up with a good woman?"

James looked at his friend blearily as he tried to comprehend what his friend was saying. "Like a marriage contract?"

"Yeah. If he has a good woman then he'll have a good life," Sirius declared as if it was an obvious fact.

James nodded in agreement since the idea made sense to him. After all, his life got loads better after he and Lily got together, so that should help his son too. "Okay, but who would we choose for him? You can only offer women from your family."

Sirius paused in his excitement as he realized the problem. "Well, I can't choose old Trixie since she's insane. Andy would kill me if I chose little Nymphie. Oh wait, what about Narcissa?"

"Isn't she married to that blond ponce Malfoy?" James asked in confusion as he tried to make his brain work for him.

"Oh yeah." Sirius was disappointed that he couldn't help his friend until he thought of something else. "But it's a marriage contract. Maybe as Lord Black I can break it or something. That way she can get away from that slimy git and be with someone who would take care of her."

James pondered the idea for a moment. "Doesn't she believe like the rest of the Blacks though?" James asked, not wanting his son to be with a pureblood fanatic.

"Nope. she has to pretend like she does. The Cissy I know was smart, strong, kind, and independent. She didn't believe in all that superiority nonsense," Sirius explained.

"Okay, let's do it. But let's put in a clause so they can get out of it if they fall in love with someone else," James suggested.

The two of them found a tattered piece of parchment and wrote out the contract for Harry and Narcissa. Unfortunately, they forgot to add the clause to let the two get out of it. In fact, they forgot to do a lot of things and made some mistakes with the numbers and ages. To make things worse, they managed to sign it with their House rings, making it an official binding contract, no matter how badly written it was. It disappeared into the Potter vault the moment they finished signing it and soon enough they forgot all about it. In fact, they forgot everything about that night.

Flashback End

"There is an active marriage contract involving Lord Potter-Black and Ms. Black," Silverclaw announced.

Harry and Narcissa looked at Silverclaw in shock while Andromeda and Tonks had resigned expressions on their faces, having expected this to be the news. After all, it's unlikely for a witch and a wizard to receive a letter from the same goblin to meet at the same time unless a contract was involved.

"How did this happen?" Andromeda asked when she realized that Harry and Narcissa were unable to respond at the moment.

"I'm not sure. From the way it was written, I suspect the former Lords of the Black and Potter family were inebriated at the time it was formed," Silverclaw answered. "It is binding however, since they used their house rings as their signatures."

"What are the requirements?" This time it was Tonks who asked the question. Harry and Narcissa paid a bit more attention at that, though they still remained silent.

Silverclaw cleared his throat before speaking. "First, they have to be married by Lord Potter-Black's sixteenth birthday. Second, they must consummate the marriage within the first week. Third, they must be at least pregnant with a child within the first six months. Since the two lords didn't specify otherwise, there are no loopholes and it can only be nullified by death. There is no way to cancel the contract now that it's been activated and the penalty for not abiding by its rules is the loss of their magic."

Both Andromeda and Tonks were cursing both men at their complete idiocy. _How could they do something so stupid_, they both thought simultaneously. The new "couple" had just been freed from their respective prisons, only to be trapped in a marriage against their will. A marriage that would have to occur in less than a month. In fact, they only had 30 days since today was July 1st.

Harry and Narcissa were still quiet, trying to wrap their heads around the situation they found themselves in. Both were freaking out internally as many different thoughts ran through their heads, though their faces remained blank on the outside.

Silverclaw gave them about five minutes to take in the shocking news. "I have a copy for you to read over on your own time."

Harry was still too overwhelmed to respond, but Narcissa had gathered herself enough to speak, though she was still just as rattled. "Thank you for informing us of this in such a timely manner Manager Silverclaw. I think we need to discuss this and its implications privately," she declared respectfully.

"Of course. If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to ask," Silverclaw replied.

At the dismissal, Harry seemed to have gotten himself under more control for he finally spoke up. "Wait, before we go could we please have someone take us to my parents' personal vault. I want to retrieve that trunk you mentioned."

"Are you sure Harry? It can wait until tomorrow if you need some more time," Tonks said while she and the other two looked at him in concern.

"I don't have to open it, but I want to go ahead and get it now while we're already here," Harry replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.

Slightly satisfied with his answer, the three witches protested no further. Silverclaw touched a button on his desk to ask for an escort for them. A few minutes later, a younger goblin arrived and led them out of the office as they bid Silverclaw goodbye. The goblin took them through the bank without a word until they reached the vault carts. The ride lasted about five minutes and soon enough they were climbing out of the cart to stand in front of the vault. Harry handed over the key wordlessly and watched as the goblin quickly opened the door.

"I will wait out here for you," the goblin stated once the door was open.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement before they all entered. The vault was filled with a few trunks, some piles of galleons, and a few other trinkets. They headed straight for the trunks to find the one that Silverclaw mentioned.

"This is definitely the one," Narcissa declared after a few minutes, causing them to move to stand by her. It was a small, dark brown trunk with black fastenings and a black iron lock. On top of the lid was a hand impression with some runes inscribed around it. "I tried to open it, but it seems impossible for anyone but you."

"From the runes on it, it seems that it requires my blood to open it," Harry explained as he analyzed it. "I think when you put your hand on the impression, it pricks it to test if your blood is mine."

"Seems like Lily and James wanted to make sure that no one but you could open it, then. Whatever's inside must be pretty important for them to take those measures to guard it," Andromeda remarked.

Harry nodded in agreement before going quiet in thought. "I'll just take it with me for now. I'm not ready to open it just yet," he decided after a moment. Tonks shrunk it for him after pointing out that it would draw unwanted attention to him if those in the Alley saw him with it.

They exited the vault a minute later, Harry carrying the shrunken trunk inside of his pocket. The journey back to the Leaky Cauldron was taken in silence, all four of them lost in their thoughts.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Once they got back, Harry looked at Narcissa with a lost expression and said, "I think I need some time alone," before hurrying upstairs to his room.

Narcissa moved to follow him, but Andromeda held her back. "Give him some time."

"Don't worry, he just needs to wrap his mind around it on his own first," Tonks assured her before going to her own room and leaving the two women alone.

Andromeda led her sister to sit down in a chair at the kitchen table before making some tea. Then she sat a cup in front of her before taking the seat beside her. "How are you taking this?"

Narcissa took a sip before answering. "I…I don't really know how to feel about it," she admitted. "There are so many things we don't know about each other. We've only just met properly a few days ago. Then there's the age difference of 15 years to overcome. Now we have less than a month to become acquainted with each other, while also planning a wedding. I don't know where to start."

Andromeda nodded in understanding. "I would probably feel the same way if I was in your position." She put her arm her sister comfortingly. "Don't worry too much about the ceremony though. You just tell me what you want, and I'll do all of the work for you. All you need to focus on is getting to know and forming a good relationship with Harry. I'll take care of the rest."

Narcissa looked at her sister gratefully before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you Dromeda." They stayed like that for a while. Despite the situation, they were happy they had each other in their lives again after being apart for so long. She was still worried about everything but was thankful that she at least had her sister by her side this time.

"It might not be as bad of a situation as it first appears," Andromeda suggested, trying to be optimistic.

Narcissa pulled away, surprise on her face. "I'm old enough to be his mother for goodness sake! He should be with someone closer to his age, not some old, broken woman like me. How can I give him the love and support he needs from a wife? Plus, he already has a war and a psychopathic maniac to deal with. He doesn't need this burden right now." Even after knowing him for only a few days, she had grown fond of Harry and wanted the best for him. She didn't believe she could give that to him.

"It might be good for him, actually," Andromeda disagreed. When Narcissa gave her a look of disbelief, she explained her reasoning. "As his wife, you can help him better face all of the trials and challenges in his life. You're a very powerful and intelligent witch who can do wandless magic, not some old woman and you're definitely not broken. A broken woman wouldn't have asked Harry for her freedom and packed her bags before it was even confirmed."

"He still should be with someone his age," Narcissa argued, unwilling to see this as a good thing for Harry.

"Please. I doubt there are many witches his age that could deal with Harry's life," Andromeda replied, dismissing that argument. "Besides, Tonks tells me that he acts much older most of the time. In fact, I think the two of you might make a better match for each other than you think." When her sister wouldn't reply, Andromeda sighed. "Just try to stay positive is all I ask."

Narcissa reluctantly agreed, knowing it wouldn't make the situation any better if she was thinking of all of the negatives. She still wasn't convinced that Harry could fall in love with her.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Meanwhile, Harry was in his room, pacing back and forth as he thought about the new situation, he found himself in. Hedwig, woken up by her master's fretting, watched him in concern as he talked to himself aloud. "Okay, I have to marry Narcissa Black because my bloody father and godfather signed a contract while they were pissed. I have to marry Narcissa, a beautiful witch who is way out of my league and deserves much more than a student with a penchant for attracting dangerous attention. A teenager who has a psychopathic maniac after him because of some stupid prophecy."

Harry turned to face Hedwig. "I've only had one failed relationship, so how am I supposed to be a good husband?" he exclaimed. "She just got out of a bad relationship! She doesn't deserve to be saddled with me and all of the rubbish I deal with in my life! Yet, there's no way to get out of it. No way to free her from this burden! Why does my life have to be so bloody difficult all of the time?" He flopped down on the bed with his head in his hands, shaking his head mournfully.

Hedwig hooted sympathetically, flying onto Harry's shoulder. She rubbed her head against his face gently, causing him to reach up a hand to stroke her feathers. After a moment, he was able to calm down. "Thanks girl. I really needed that," he said softly.

She hooted again, Harry understanding her meaning through their bond. "I know you think I'm a good person, but that doesn't mean I'll be a good husband," he replied. "Look at how badly I screwed up with Cho. What if I'm not capable of being in a romantic relationship? What if the Dursleys messed me up too badly?"

Hedwig hooted angrily, not liking her master looking down on himself so badly. He was about to reply when he felt Tonks' presence and looked up to see her standing right outside the door.

"I think you should listen to her. She's a wise owl after all," Tonks said as she walked into the room and sat down beside him. "From what I heard, I can tell that you're not taking this well."

"How would you feel if you had to get married in less than a month," he replied sarcastically.

"No need to bite my head off mate," she retorted calmly.

Harry sighed, knowing she wasn't to blame for the situation. "I'm sorry Dora, it's just…all of this is really overwhelming."

"I'd be worried if you weren't. It's a completely unexpected situation and you have very little time to get used to it. If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same," she noted.

"What am I supposed to do about it though?" he asked anxiously.

"Well the first thing you have to do is accept it," she began gently. "There's nothing you can do to change or stop it, so don't try. All you can do now is try to make the best of it. That means you can't wallow about in your misery and start brooding, like you have a tendency to do." Harry glared at her, but she continued undeterred. "Don't give me that look because you know it's true. Remember, I saw how you reacted to what you went through this past school year before I managed to knock some sense into you."

"Okay I got it. No wallowing," he relented reluctantly. He had taken to brooding last year until Tonks helped him to see things differently.

"Good. Now, to get through this, you have to focus on the positives and not get bogged down by the negatives," she continued.

"And what positives are there, exactly?" he interjected doubtfully.

"At least she isn't an ugly troll of a witch," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He was unamused. "Be serious Dora."

She huffed at him. "What I'm trying to tell you is that there are worse witches that you could be stuck with. At least with her, you know that she's a good and kind person who doesn't believe in that boy-who-lived rubbish. She can do wandless magic, so that tells you she can take care of herself in a fight. She's smart which is probed by her double masteries in charms and potions. And, she's not ugly. You really could do worse."

Harry thought for a moment, before conceding that Tonks had a point. "Alright, I get it. Narcissa is a good woman. I'll try to think positively. So…what should I say to her."

"Don't try and overthink it, because that is definitely not your strong suit. I say just wing it. That's what you're best at."

"If you say so."

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Harry decided to take an hour to calm down by working on his comm project before he went to talk to his future wife. _Man, that's going to take some getting used to for sure_, he thought as he walked down the stairs. Narcissa and Andromeda were still sitting at the kitchen table, both looking up at him when he reached the doorway.

"I'll leave you two alone then," Andromeda announced as she stood up and walked out the room.

Narcissa gestured for Harry to come forward. "You might as well sit down at the table with me."

He did as asked, sitting across from her so they could look at each other.

"I'm…"

"You…"

They both laughed nervously as they tried to talk at the same time. "You go first," Narcissa said.

Harry sighed as he became serious. "I'm sorry you're being dragged into the chaos of my life. You just got out of a marriage, a bad one, and now you have to marry me."

Narcissa shook her head. "It's not your fault Harry. You didn't write it so you can't be blamed for it. This whole thing is a surprise to both of us." When she saw that he still wasn't convinced, she moved her hand to cover one of his on the table. "Harry, I know that the world has a habit of blaming you for everything that goes wrong, but I am not the world. I will not let you blame yourself for something you couldn't have predicted. You had nothing to do with causing this."

Harry sighed, putting his head down. "I know, but I still feel guilty. I can't help feeling like I'm putting you in even more danger than you're already in."

"Living with Lucius put me in danger. Leaving him and taking away Voldemort's access to the Black fortune through Lucius, which was my decision, puts me in danger. I doubt being with you will endanger me anymore than I already am. Besides, I can take care of myself Harry," Narcissa pointed out.

"But what if I screw up and make you miserable," Harry protested. "I'm just a teenager with a penchant for making enemies of powerful people. My life is hard with very little love in it. I don't know if I'm capable of being the kind of husband you need. With all of the hate I've felt and experienced, I don't really know what love is or how to show it. What if I'm worse than Lucius?"

"Harry, I may have only known you for a few days, but I can say without a doubt that you could never be anything like Lucius, let alone worse than him. You actually have a heart," she replied.

"How do you know that?" he asked, surprised by her faith in him.

"Simple. Lucius would never have freed a practical stranger from her marriage without having asked for anything in return. Yet you did. That proves that you are nothing like him and you never could be," she declared firmly.

"I guess you have a point there, but I still don' know anything about being a good husband," he protested weakly.

She shook her head at him in exasperation. "I don't expect you to be perfect Harry. This is something that we're both going to have to work at. And we're going to make mistakes, but that's okay because no relationship is perfect. It doesn't mean you're going to make me miserable though."

"Okay," Harry said after a moment, "where do we go from here?"

"If this is going to work, we have to be open and honest with each other. If we have some concerns, we should talk about it, not bottle it up. It won't stop every single argument, but it will definitely help prevent them from becoming too bad," she stated. "Together, we can figure out what works for us so that we can at least be good friends, if not more."

Harry nodded in agreement before thinking of something else. "Should we go on…dates too? I know this won't be a normal relationship, but we still have to get to know each other."

"Yes, that is a good idea. We might even want to take it further and just spend as much time around each as possible," she said. Then another thought came into her head. She was a bit nervous to bring it up, thinking it might be too soon, but Harry saw the hesitation on her face.

"Whatever you're thinking about just tell me. I promise I won't get angry or dismiss it," Harry reassured her calmly.

Narcissa was emboldened by his kindness and sincerity. "I was just thinking about the…the physical side of our relationship." The shocked look on his face made her backtrack. "I'm not saying we should rush into anything, but it is something we have to think about. After all, we have to consummate the relationship within a week after our marriage. We can go as slowly as you're comfortable with, but time isn't really on our side."

She was babbling a bit, but it was something that had to be talked about. She had never slept in the same bed as Lucius, having her own separate wing. That was fine for a marriage she didn't want. However, that's not what she wanted for her and Harry. Regardless of how it was established, she wanted to at least try to have the love and affection a good marriage was filled with.

"I may not have much experience, but I'm still a teenager and you're a very attractive woman. Of course, I'll be willing to work on that," Harry finally got out after he got over his shock. "I want to make sure you're comfortable with it as well, though. Don't push yourself to do something just because I'm ready for it."

Narcissa, who had blushed at his compliment, was touched by his concern. "That is very considerate of you Harry. I think it will be best if we check with the other before progressing further physically, that way neither will have to do anything they're uncomfortable with."

"So just play it by ear then?" he asked.

"Exactly, though only for the first few times. I'm sure that after spending more time with each other, we'll figure it out," she confirmed, a smile on her face. Harry smiled in return as both of them stood up from the table, glad that their talk went so well. There was still plenty of things they needed to talk about, but they were at a good start.

"Well, I guess we should go tell Andromeda and Dora that we're okay," Harry suggested as they started walking out of the kitchen.

Before they exited the room, Narcissa surprised Harry by pulling him into a hug. "I know this was completely unexpected and we have very little time to figure it out, but I think we will be okay if we work together," she said softly in his ear. Harry nodded in agreement. Both hesitated to pull away from hug as they enjoyed the pleasant feelings the embrace gave them. _Well at least we seem to be physically attracted to each other_, she thought hopefully.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

After Harry and Narcissa assured Andromeda and Tonks that they were okay, the four of them sat down in the kitchen and looked over the portfolio of Harry's assets in more detail, starting with the properties. On the Potter side, there was only one that was usable – a small villa in Italy used as a vacation property. The Potter manor and the house in Godric's Hollow had been destroyed during the war. The Black properties included Black manor, which was Grimmauld Place, a small cottage in Scotland, that Sirius had owned, and the vacation chateau in Nice France that Narcissa had mentioned. Both the chateau and the cottage were in good condition, so Harry didn't have to worry about fixing them up. As for the companies he had a stake in, most were only a small percentage as Silverclaw had mentioned. The few he did have a controlling share of were a potion supply company, Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and Scalp Treatment, and a restaurant in Diagon Alley. They also took note of his thirty percent stock in the Daily Prophet, trying to decide how they could use that to their advantage.

After that, they pretty much relaxed in the living room until Ted got back from work. Harry worked on his wandless magic exercises, Tonks went over some paperwork she had to finish for work, and Andromeda and Narcissa started making preliminary wedding plans. About twenty minutes before Ted was due to return, Tonks and Harry went out to get pizza for dinner since no one was really up to cooking. They got back fifteen minutes later and sat the food on the coffee table, Andromeda having gotten plates and drinks while they were gone.

When Ted arrived, he noticed the subdued looks on everyone's faces, especially Harry and Narcissa's. "Okay, what did you guys learn at the meeting?"

"You might want to get comfortable before we tell you. It's some pretty shocking news," Andromeda warned.

Ted nodded and went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes. When he returned a few moments later, they had started to eat the pizza. He sat down on the couch by his wife who gave him a plate. Once he had gotten two slices, he turned to look at everyone, waiting for an explanation. "Alright, I'm ready."

Andromeda sighed before speaking up. "Well, the short of it is this. Harry and Narcissa are betrothed to be married and have to do it by Harry's sixteenth birthday. They have to consummate that relationship within a week of their marriage and have a child on the way within 6 months. This is all because James and Sirius thought it would be a good idea to form a marriage contract while they were drunk. There is no way out of it for them except through death."

"Wow, that's…wow," Ted said after a moment, too shocked to form a complete sentence.

"Our thoughts exactly dad," Tonks remarked.

"How are the two of you taking all of this?" Ted asked the new "couple" in concern.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "I'm still pretty overwhelmed by it all. I didn't grow up with the idea the marriage contracts were still a real thing so to find myself in one is a bit surreal."

"I am overwhelmed as well, though I'm glad that I don't have to go through this alone this time," Narcissa added.

Ted nodded in understanding. "I'd probably feel the same way, but you definitely have my support in this, especially you Harry. If you ever need some advice, don't hesitate to ask me." He also made a mental note to sit the young man down sometime soon to talk to him.

"Thanks Ted," Harry replied gratefully. Narcissa echoed his sentiments.

Andromeda explained everything else they learned during the day about Harry's assets, including the trunk he got from his parents' vault. Harry went quiet as he realized there was something else he needed to talk to them about – the prophecy.

"What are you thinking about Harry?" Tonks asked, noticing his quiet.

Harry steeled himself before replying, hoping what he was about to say wouldn't cause them to abandon him. "Before we make any more plans, there's something I need to tell you. There's a reason why Voldemort is so determined to kill me, a reason why he tried to kill me when I was still a baby. It's because of a prophecy that was made before I was born." Then he told them about his argument with Dumbledore on the night Sirius was killed as well as reciting the prophecy for them word for word.

"Well that explains a lot. You have every right to be angry with Dumbledore for keeping that from you," Andromeda summed up.

"That old manipulative goat!" Tonks exclaimed angrily. "He waited until then to tell you about this. Well, he just lost an Order member because I quit." Her hair was bright red, physically displaying her emotions.

Narcissa however was paying attention to Harry, noticing that he was bracing himself for rejection. "You know we're not going to run away from you because of it. Even if I wasn't set to marry you, I still would support you. This doesn't change anything." Everyone else voiced their agreement as well.

"Thank you," Harry replied gratefully, a bit overwhelmed by their easy acceptance of him.

"You're a part of our family Harry and we don't turn our back on each other, no matter what," Ted explained. This was backed up by everyone else.

Once everyone had calmed down, Harry pulled out the shrunken trunk from his parents' vault that was still in his pocket. Narcissa wordlessly unshrunk it for him. He looked at it in silence for several moments, trying to decide if he was ready to open it yet.

"You don't have to open it if you're not ready Harry," Narcissa stated, putting her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"You're right. It can wait until tomorrow morning," he decided after a moment. "I think I've had enough surprises for today. If everyone doesn't mind, I think it's time I went to bed."

"I think it's time everyone went to bed," Ted declared. "You've all had a long day, and something tells me that tomorrow will be even longer. I'm glad I have tomorrow off so I won't miss anything." Everyone agreed with him and started cleaning up before heading to their separate rooms.

That night, no one had trouble going to sleep, all emotionally and mentally exhausted to some degree. Harry and Narcissa even managed to sleep through the night without any nightmares because of how tired they were.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: First I want to say sorry for the delay. For those that have read the updates on my other stories you already know this, but I had a lot going on the prevented be from writing. Now everything's calmed down and I can dedicate time to these stories. I promise that I have every intention to finish them so don't worry and thank you for your patience.

Now, this chapter is really long, but it has a lot of information and I didn't want to break it up into two sections after not updating for so long. There is also mansion in this chapter and since I couldn't really do a good job of describing it, so there's a link on my page to show you what it's supposed to look like. Just imagine that the doors are dark blue.

* * *

Chapter 5

In the morning, Harry sat a simple breakfast of muffins, bacon, and eggs on the table as they all gathered to start figuring out their next moves. They ate for a few minutes, complimenting the chef for his mouth-watering muffins, before the conversation began.

"Alright, there is quite a list of things we need to start working on," Narcissa began. "Most importantly, we need more allies if we're going to survive this war, especially since we likely will be opposed by two sides."

"I can talk to some of the younger Order members and see if they're willing to leave with me. I'm not the only one who doesn't agree with how Dumbledore is fighting this war," Tonks suggested, pausing for a moment in thought. "I can also go ahead and set up a meeting with Madam Bones if you're ready for it, Harry."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we might as well do that now. I should probably write to my friends as well. I need to know if they're going to side with me or Dumbledore sooner rather than later." He was apprehensive at the thought that his friendships might become strained or end completely, but he knew it wasn't something he should put off.

"I know it sounds harsh but, if they are true friends, they will hear you out and stand by you. If not, then it's better you find out now," Ted said gently.

"He's right Harry. I wish you didn't have to deal with this, but, unfortunately, we are in a war. If you want to survive it, you'll have to make some hard decisions," Andromeda added. Harry only nodded in response.

Narcissa cursed those who forced Harry into a life that made him grow up too fast and had to take a deep breath to calm herself. "Sad as it is, that is a good idea Harry. I'll also talk to some of the more neutral families to see if they're willing to support you in the Wizengamot. If we're going to get Fudge out of office and have someone trustworthy replace him, we'll need all of the votes we can get."

Once they finished eating, Andromeda went up to her office to grab some ink and parchment so they could write all of the necessary letters. It took them about an hour to write them all, some having to be edited to make sure they were discreet as possible. They wanted to be able to relay the correct intent and urgency without revealing any information that needed to remain secret until the recipients could be trusted with it. When they were ready, Hedwig and Andromeda's owl swooped into the kitchen to perch near their respective masters'. Harry tied the letters to his friends to Hedwig while Andromeda tied the rest to her owl. After wishing them a safe journey, the two owls flew through the open window.

Harry shook out his wrists that had become a bit sore after writing so much before speaking up. "Well, now that that's done, I guess it's time we see what was so important that my parents decided to lock it up."

Everyone agreed and moved into the living room where the trunk was still sitting on the coffee table where he'd left it last night. Harry looked it over for a moment, examining the runes once more. Then, he slowly reached out his hand and placed it onto the impression on the lid of the trunk. As he had guessed earlier, he felt a small prick on the middle of his palm. A few seconds later, the box glowed white, and the lock clicked open. He took a deep breath before popping the lid up to see what was inside.

The first thing Harry noticed was an envelope with his name on it lying on top of everything else. He pulled it out and opened it up, unfolding the letter inside. Quietly, he read the letter to himself, which was written in both his mother's and father's handwriting. The others gave him the privacy he needed, remaining silent until he'd finished.

(AN: Italics = James; Regular print = Lily)

To our precious son

If you are reading this letter, then we did not make it through the war. Before we get into the main reason for this letter, we want you to know that we love you so much and are so sorry that we were not able to live to see you grow up into the amazing man that you will become. _We knew from the moment you were born that you were someone special, and not just because you are our child. _Hopefully, our Wills were followed, and you were placed with people who would love you and were specified on our list of guardians. However, if you were sent to the Dursleys, Dumbledore will have a lot to answer for in the after-life. _That translates into your mother will choke him with his own beard and berate him like a child while I watch on in satisfaction. He deserves it too seeing as he was the witness for our Wills and knew exactly what our directions for your care were._

Now, the reason why we're writing this letter is due to a discovery we made two days ago. I am a descendant of the Arrowwood family and was adopted by the Evans family. _They are very well known in the Wizarding world for their fabled Sensor ability and Runic knowledge. They also are rumored to have been hiding a something very special. There are many who would do anything to learn their secrets so don't mention this to anyone you don't fully trust. _This came with many revelations, but the main ones are that the family has a secret island with access to the only source of an element called zafeírium. _After visiting it yesterday, I came up with the idea to use the island as a safe haven for friends and anyone else that wants to get away from the destruction Voldemort and his followers are causing. _Yes, the war isn't going well and too many innocent people are dying for no reason. This island is very well hidden by several wards, many designed by our ancestors, which are powered by the three ley lines that run underneath it, making it the perfect place to escape to. _It also has a village of house-elves that take care of it and are loyal to the family. _

Unfortunately, if you're reading this letter, then we did not live long enough to escape there. Inside of this trunk is a portkey that will take you there and a book that can be used to give trusted people access to the island. _There are a few items inside as well to help you understand the versatility of zafeírium and a sample of it in its purest form. Again, don't show these things to anyone you don't fully trust. _Once you get to the island you will get a full explanation of everything and we left you a few surprises to hopefully help make up for our absence from your life. Finally, we love you with all of our hearts and you are the best thing we ever created. _Don't let anyone cause you to doubt that_.

Love now and forever

Mum and Dad

_PS: The house-elves look a bit different on the island._

At the top of the letter, it was dated for October 31th – the day they died. _They didn't have enough time to move us there_, Harry thought sadly. As hard as it was to read, he was glad he did because for the first time he had indisputable proof that his parents loved him. Silent tears fell down his face as he realized just how much it meant to him. He'd heard so many people tell him of his parents' love for him, but it was different reading it in their own words. Narcissa, who was sitting beside him, put her hand on his shoulder when she saw his tears. Unable to speak, he gave her a nod of gratitude for the gesture. Everyone else remained silent to give him time to regain his composure.

When he'd settled down, he looked up at everyone else and read the letter aloud for them, informing them of the date it was written as well. There were varying degrees of shock displayed on their faces once Harry reached the end and it took them a moment to take it all in.

"Your mother was an Arrowwood," Andromeda whispered in disbelief. "They were believed to have all been killed in 1960."

"By who?" Harry questioned.

"According to some people, by Voldemort," Narcissa stated. "For some reason, he went after them personally, though no one knows exactly why. I suspect it might have been this zafeírium that was mentioned. All he'd told his followers at the time was that they possessed something that would make him more powerful. It's rumored that he sent an entire army after them but was unsuccessful. When he failed to get it, he was furious and punished several people in a rage, those that survived anyway. This was before the war officially started."

Andromeda shook her head in wonder. "He wasn't the only one who sought their secrets. In fact, when they were killed, several people tried to go to the Ministry to try and claim they were Arrowwoods to get access to their secrets. Ignatius Tuft, the Minister of Magic at the time, tried to demand that Gringotts hand over the contents of the Arrowwood vault to the Ministry, but they refused. He almost caused another war with the goblins over it and it's part of the reason he was eventually forced out."

"Yes, though it all turned out to be a waste of time because there was nothing but money in the Arrowwood vault anyway," Narcissa added. "Apparently they never stored anything else inside of it. You should be able to claim that, though Harry."

"That's some coincidence," Ted remarked. "Harry not only are you linked to him through a prophecy but you're also likely the only living descendant of a family that he personally went after. What are the odds?"

"Maybe the secrets they were hiding could be part of the 'power he knows not' mentioned in the prophecy," Tonks suggested.

"It's possible," Harry replied before he took out the rest of the things inside the trunk. This included the book, an old-fashioned key labelled as the portkey, a dagger, a cloak, a vest of armor, a picture of an unknown flower, and a block that was almost as long and wide as the inside of the trunk. All of the items were sapphire blue in color except for the book. The notes that were attached to them stated that every single item had zafeírium in them in some form or fashion. Harry examined the items and their notes before passing everything except for the book and the portkey around. While they looked at the items, Harry wrote down their names in the book after reading the instructions to give them all access to the island.

"So, all of this stuff is made of zafeírium somehow?" Tonks asked in confusion.

"It would seem so," Andromeda remarked.

"How would it get into plants though? What kind of plant is this anyway?" Ted queried.

Narcissa examined the plant in thought. "It looks like a narcissus flower, though not one that I've ever seen. It's almost as if the zafeírium seeped into the very ground of the island."

"You think the whole island's been infused with this stuff?" Tonks asked in wonder.

"That seems like the most probable explanation," Andromeda stated.

"Which would mean the properties of everything on the island – plants, food, water, minerals, maybe even animals – could be altered from what you would see anywhere else," Ted noted. "It's probably like a completely different environment there."

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Harry exclaimed, his mind already thinking of how he could use it to make his inventions as he examined the block of zafeírium once more. The somber mood that had gripped him after reading his parents last words to him had been lifted at the knowledge of what zafeírium was capable of. He went silent as he calculated what he would be able to make right now with what he had available. Everyone smiled at Harry's change in mood, giving him time to enjoy his moment.

"Well I think we can all agree that we should go visit this island soon," Andromeda stated, getting everyone back on task.

"Why not go now? It's not like we can do much else until everyone replies to our letters," Tonks suggested.

"That's up to Harry," Ted stated as everyone turned to the young man in question.

Narcissa glanced at Harry warily. "From your parents' letter it seems like there are more surprises in store for you when you get there. Though, it's probably best that we learn more about all of this before we meet with anyone."

Harry ran a hand through his hair in thought. He was a bit wary of what else he would learn but knew there wasn't much time to delay at the moment. "You all are right, we need to go now. Besides, I really want to see what else is there. If I get overwhelmed, I have all of you there to help me out."

"Yes, you do Harry," Andromeda confirmed. Then, they all went upstairs to get ready, returning downstairs about half an hour later.

Harry held out the portkey for everyone and once they were all holding on, he whispered the phrase 'Senses lead the way'. With barely a sound, they group of five were whisked away to a new location.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

Unlike the rest, Tonks and Harry landed on their butts instead of their feet when the portkey dropped them off. After chuckling at their misfortune, Ted helped them both off the ground.

"I really hate portkeys," Harry grumbled as he dusted off his pants.

"You and me both," Tonks commiserated, before looking around. "Wow, look at this place."

Everyone murmured in agreement as they all gazed around at their surroundings. The portkey had dropped them off somewhere in what was supposed to be a large town, though there were no beings visible at the moment. It was located in a large, wide, and curved valley between two mountains to the east and west that were lined with several trees. From their position, they could see that a river flowed around the western edge of the town, starting at a waterfall off of the cliff at the south end. There was also a large, black structure on that end about twenty feet away from the waterfall, though no one could guess the reason for it. To the north, they could see the beginning of a forest, though it was too far away, and the valley was too curved for them to see it very clearly. They didn't see any beings around, but there were birds in the sky and some small mammals running around, though they mainly stayed in the grassy areas near the waterfall and were too far away to see distinctly. They could tell that there was a farm nearby because chickens could be heard clucking and cows mooing. Narcissa could have even sworn that she saw a fairy, though it flitted away too quickly for her to be sure.

They were standing in a long road – the main road most likely – that ran from south to north and curved around following the natural path of the valley. There were numerous buildings and streets on the east and west sides of it that led to the rest of the town Everything was spread out, so nothing was right on top of each other. Most of the buildings right off the main road seemed to have been stores, businesses, and restaurants while the others on streets behind them were homes. The architecture style was a mix of modern and ancient Greek that somehow worked together, and every place had its own unique look with no two alike or identical. The houses they could see, due to the gentle downward slope they were on, were that way as well. What tied them all together was that every building had something sapphire blue in color, whether it was the front door, window, trim, or etc. In fact, the very street they were standing on was paved with bluestone ranging from dark to light blues. It was arranged in a herringbone pattern with diamond shaped stones interspersed throughout. Overall, the town was huge, and they could tell that many people lived here once.

"Your ancestors really liked the color blue Harry," Tonks remarked in amusement.

"Tell me about it. At least the grass is still green, and the trees barks are still brown," Harry replied.

"Maybe they got used to it since the zafeírium is that color," Andromeda suggested.

"I'd like blue too after seeing what that stuff is capable of," Ted commented. Everyone chuckled at that.

"Even with all of the blue, this still is a beautiful place. Peaceful too," Narcissa noted.

Harry and the others nodded in agreement before he turned to face the black iron gate on the east side of the street they had been dropped off in front of. Behind it was a nice-sized manor home with the same bluestone path leading up to it. There was grass on either side of the path and in the middle was a simple but elegant water fountain surrounded by grass filled with flowers in varying shades of blue. The manor itself was built in Ancient Greek style, with beige stone and dark blue doors. To the left side of the manor was a slightly smaller building in the same style as the manor. Narcissa explained that it was likely the quarters for the house-elves, though it apparently was bigger than any she'd ever seen.

After a moment, he walked up to the gate, followed by everyone else. Once they were standing right in front of it, Harry noticed that the key hole of the lock matched the key they used as a portkey. He pulled the key out of the pocket he'd dropped it into when they arrived and inserted it into the lock, slowly turning it to the right until he heard a click. Then, the gate swung open majestically.

Before Harry could say anything else, a being popped in front of him unexpectedly, causing all of them to jump slightly in shock. It was technically a house-elf, though it was unlike any they'd ever seen. This being did not have the overlarge nose, ears, and eyes, the shorter stature, or the greyish complexion that they were used to seeing. Instead, this house-elf stood at about 4 feet tall, had small ears with pointy tips that stick out some, a small, pointy nose, and eyes proportional to its thin, angular face. Its complexion was very pale, almost white, and its figure thin and lithe. It also had hair that was black and cut short. The indication that the changes in this elf were due to zafeírium was seen in its eyes which were sapphire blue and glowed slightly.

"You are Harry James Potter, the last descendant of the great Arrowwood family. My name is Sammy and I am the head elf on the island," the now named Sammy stated, making everyone realize that even his speech pattern was improved.

Harry took a moment to get over his shock before he managed to reply. "Umm… nice to meet you Sammy, but how do you know my name?"

Sammy's expression became sad. "Your parents, Mistress Lily and Master James, came here once with you, though they never returned. Since your mother was also an Arrowwood, we felt her death. We've been waiting for you to come back ever since."

"Okay… umm could you please show us around then. We don't really know where we're supposed to go," Harry said after glancing around at the others who were just getting over their shock.

"Of course, Master," Sammy replied with a half bow. "Just follow me and I'll bring you to the family library so everything can be explained to you." The elf turned around and started walking toward the manor.

"How many more house-elves live on the island with you?" Harry asked Sammy as a concerning thought came to his mind. He was worried that there weren't enough of them to take care of the town without overworking themselves. This wasn't a small island after all and there was a lot to take care of to keep it up. The others listened intently, wanting to know the answer as well.

"There are 82 adults including me and 34 children that are too young to work. Per former Master John's orders, whenever the portkey is activated, everyone except the head elf is to go into hiding. He thought it would be too much of a shock if you saw several of us instead of just one."

"You think," Tonks muttered, earning a smack from her mother in response.

"We all live in the slightly smaller manor next door. It's been magically expanded on the inside so all of us have plenty of living space," Sammy finished explaining, pointing at the smaller house to the left.

Harry nodded, satisfied that the elves weren't overburdened "Good. Do all of you look like… well like this?"

"Yes, though we cut our hair differently. Somehow the zafeírium in the land changed us and most other living things and creatures, though this wasn't realized until the next generation were born. I've been told that it was quite the shock when the first baby elf was born looking like we do now," Sammy replied.

"I'll bet they were," Tonks murmured. Everyone nodded in agreement with her.

"How did that many elves get here in the first place?" Ted asked curiously.

"Master Matthew, the Arrowwood who found the island, and his children started a secret campaign to save house-elves from abusive masters and mistresses," Sammy began to explain. "He tried to get us more rights through the Wizengamot at first, but when they rejected his idea he decided to free as many as he could around the world. It made him unpopular and is one of the reasons why he searched for a place of privacy and peace in the first place. When he found the island, he brought them here and we've lived and grown in population size ever since. There used to be more of us, but many died in the battle that caused this island to be cut off from everything and everyone else. You will learn more about that soon enough."

Harry smiled at the story, though the ending saddened him, glad that his family had a history for standing up for what was right. "He sounds like he was a good person."

Everyone else went silent, wondering what other surprises were in store for them.

"Welcome to the Arrowwood manor," Sammy announced as they stepped inside the main entrance. It was impressive yet not too formal with an elegance that wasn't oppressive. There were no gaudy statues or flashy, but unnecessary objects to boast the wealth of the family. Everything wasn't accented in gold or silver and the furniture wasn't overly extravagant or tasteless. Instead, though you could tell that the owner was wealthy, you got a warm welcome feeling that put you at ease, not make you subconsciously try and check your appearance due to perceived inadequacy.

The main entrance was a decent size with a large staircase leading to the next floor at the back-right side of the room. To the left and the right ends of the room as well as to the left of the stairs were squared off entryways framed with intricate crown molding. The floor was done in ebony brown wood, while the walls were beige with white accents. Above them was a simple, yet elegant chandelier that hung in the middle of the room. On the left side of the room was a place to hang your coats and on the right was a portrait of a sunset over the ocean.

"Nice place Harry," Tonks remarked amusedly.

"I wish I could take the credit for all of this, but I just got lucky for once," Harry muttered, also taken in by the place. He didn't know why, but something about this entire island made him feel like he was home. And just to think that he hadn't even seen the whole place yet.

"Mistress Iris, your grandmother, redecorated the entire place. She wanted to make it feel more inviting, yet elegant," Sammy informed them.

"Well she certainly achieved that," Narcissa observed with Andromeda and Ted also voicing their approval.

When they all had finished looking around, they turned back to face the strange elf. "To the left is the kitchen and dining rooms as well as a playroom for children," Sammy began explaining. "To the right is the living room, game room, and one of the entrances to the library, which is two stories tall. In the back is the ballroom that was used for parties which also has an entrance to the playroom. The library, kitchen, and ballroom all have doors leading to the large patio and garden outside. On the second floor are the 15 guest bedrooms, the second level of the library, another sitting room, and the training room. On the third floor are the 7 family bedrooms, the private library, a family lounge, 2 offices, and the master and mistress suite. There is also a staircase that leads to a lounge on the roof."

"Wow, that's a lot of rooms," Harry said.

"That's why it's called a manor Harry," Narcissa teased.

Harry took it good-naturedly. "I know that, it's just this is the first one I've been to."

"Well you'll have plenty of time to get used to it now," Narcissa replied.

"Indeed. This is your manor after all," Andromeda remarked.

Harry shook his head at her comment. "That's going to take a lot of getting used to." He couldn't believe that he was going from the tiny, cluttered room at the Dursley house to owning a manor. _No, I now own an entire island. And to think a tiny cupboard under the stairs is the first home I clearly remember, though it was only home because it was the one place the Dursleys never entered. _

"If you're ready, I can take you to the family library. There you'll be able to get your questions answered and learn more about the island and there's a special surprise waiting for you," Sammy said after a moment, having waited patiently for them to finish talking.

"Yes, please lead the way, Sammy," Harry replied.

They walked up the two flights of stairs to reach the third floor which entered into the family lounge. Sammy led them to the left, passing two doors that he explained led to the offices, until the reached a door at the end of the hall with the family's crest on it.

"This is the private family library. At the moment, Master Harry, only you can enter it since entrance has been barred to everyone except an Arrowwood. To allow everyone else to enter, you simply have to state, 'I grant, person's name, permission to enter the Arrowwood private library' while holding your wand up," Sammy informed him.

"Understood," Harry stated.

"I will leave you to it then. If any of you need anything, simply call for an Arrowwood elf and we will assist you." Sammy popped away after that, leaving the group standing in front of the door.

Harry gave the rest of them permission to enter the library before turning back to face the door. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he turned the knob and pushed open the door. At first glance, the room looked like a typical library, with the wall the door faced lined completely with book shelves and a few chairs, sofas, and tables were scattered around the room. Upon further examination of the three portraits on the far-right wall however, they all froze in shock as they realized that they recognized two of the six people in the portraits.

"But that's James and Lily," Andromeda exclaimed in shocked disbelief.

"Well don't just stand there. Come on over here," James shouted impatiently when no one moved toward them.

Lily cuffed the back of his head for that. "Give them some time James. It's not like we told anyone we made portraits of ourselves." The four others in the portraits shook their heads at the couple, amused smiles on their faces at the familiar sight of them fussing.

While Lily and James argued and the others tried to get over their shock, Harry was completely frozen. He didn't know what to think or how to react. For almost his entire life, he'd wished that he could have just one conversation with his parents. To hear their voice. To hear them tell him that they loved him. Now the chance was right in front of him and he was afraid. Afraid that they would be disappointed in him. That he wouldn't be good enough for them. That they would have their own expectations of who he was supposed to be, and he wouldn't fit that image. Even though he'd read their letter to him, years of being told he wasn't good enough by the magical and muggle world alike had taken its toll on his self-esteem and doubts still plagued his mind no matter how hard he tried to push them down.

After turning to look at Harry and seeing the trepidation on his face, Narcissa and Tonks were able to break through their shock, followed soon after by Ted and Andromeda. The latter two went to talk to the portraits and explain that Harry needed some time to get over his shock while the former two tried to get him to talk to them.

"Harry," Narcissa called softly trying not to startle him. He looked up at her but gave no verbal response.

"What are you thinking?" Tonks asked gently.

He looked at both of them before replying, seeing only kindness and concern in their expressions. "I… what if they are disappointed in me, in who I've become?"

"I may not know them very well, but from the way… Sirius and Remus described them and their excitement for your birth to me, I'm sure that won't be the case," Tonks reassured him. "Their letter and the portraits they had made for you is proof of their love for you. I'm positive that they'll see you for the good person that you are and love who you've become."

Narcissa put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, speaking up next. "Even though I didn't know them very well, the few interactions I had with them gave me some insight into their character. Your father, though a bit arrogant, never turned his back on those he considered family. From the way he accepted Sirius and Remus despite their family and condition respectively also shows that he wasn't as prejudiced as some try to make him out to be. And your mother, while she had a bit of a quick temper, she had a big heart and always tried to help those in need. She even helped me with a transfiguration assignment in my first year when she saw me struggling with it. She's also fiercely protective of those she considers her family as well. Knowing that, I am certain that they will love you just the way you are."

Harry ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I? Getting all worked up for no reason."

Narcissa pulled him into a hug as she replied in his ear. "No, you aren't. It's perfectly understandable for you to be nervous about this. You've likely spent your whole life wishing that you could talk to them and now that the opportunity is right in front of you, you're worried about how they'll react to you." Harry nodded in reply as she pulled away from him.

"Yeah kid," Tonks said as she ruffled his hair affectionately. "It's okay to be a bit apprehensive, but don't worry. You don't have to do this alone and as long as you be yourself, they'll love you."

Harry shook himself and stood up straighter. "Alright, let's go meet them then."

The three of them walked over to the portrait wall to stand by Andromeda and Ted who were conversing with all of the people in the portraits. When they got there, Andromeda introduced everyone to each other.

"From left to right, these are Matthew Arrowwood and his wife Arianna, John Arrowwood and his wife Iris, and you know James and Lily. Everyone, this is my daughter Dora, my sister Narcissa, and Harry," Andromeda announced.

"It's nice to meet you Harry," Matthew greeted, his sentiments echoed by the other three. Harry gave them all polite reply before focusing his attention on his parents.

"Mum, Dad," he whispered, his voice just loud enough to be heard.

"Yes sweetie, it's really us, well as real as we can be," Lily said gently.

"It's good to see you son, though I wish this meeting never had to happen," James remarked.

"Me too," Harry said.

"Well, let us get a good look at you," James exclaimed. Harry spun in a circle before stepping closer to his parents. "Wow, you must be almost a grown man! You even have a beard already. How old are you?"

"I'll be sixteen in less than a month," Harry answered, a small smile on his face.

"I can't believe we missed you grow up," Lily lamented.

"Yeah, you should have been brought here as soon as you were old enough to write. That's what we specified in our Will. Who have you been living with?" James probed, though he and Lily had already guessed the answer.

"The Dursleys," Harry replied. The anger could be heard in his voice.

"That no good, manipulative, old goat!" Lily shouted in outrage. "We told him not to take you to them! We very explicitly explained that you were to NEVER live with them, yet he went directly against our instructions!"

James wrapped his arm around her in an attempt to calm her down though he was just as angry. "He's not going to enjoy the afterlife, that's for sure," he declared fiercely.

"They hurt you, didn't they?" Lily asked sadly once she had regained her composure.

Harry looked down for a moment in shame before answering. "Yes, but as bad as it was, it prepared me for the crap I've had to put up with over the years." At the curious and alarmed expressions that formed on his parents' faces he sighed. "It's a long story."

"It seems we all have long stories to tell," Matthew interjected, seeing the reluctance on Harry's face. "Before you get into what I'm sure is a very harrowing tale, maybe I should tell you about this island and how we came to be here." James and Lily went quiet, not protesting the change in subject. While they wanted to learn more about their son's life, unfortunate as it may be, they realized it was best not to push him too hard during their first meeting.

John nodded in agreement, discerning his ancestor's intentions. "Yes, you all need to know the history of this island and our family so you can decide your next moves. From what Lily and James have told us, it seems that Tom Riddle, or Voldemort as he's more commonly known, is still out there causing havoc in Britain."

"That's an understatement," Tonks muttered.

Harry nodded thankfully, not ready to talk about his hardships in the magical and muggle worlds. "Please do."

Matthew winked at Harry before addressing him and the rest of the group of newcomers. "You might want to take a seat and get comfortable." When they were seated on the sofas that faced the portrait wall and a house-elf had popped in with lunch for them to eat, Matthew continued. "I found this island by pure chance. I was sailing through the ocean with the family to clear my mind and get some peace from the crap we had to deal with back in Britain. After the rumor got around about our family's Sensor ability and that I had developed method for time dilation, we had been practically hounded with reporters and many others as they tried to get the truth out of us. Even the Ministry tried to get me to give them the spell under the guise of gaining a new tool to help them better protect the community. Then there was our fight in the Wizengamot over trying to give house-elves some rights, so they had more protection from abusive owners. It became too overwhelming, so we all went on a sailing trip together in the summer of 1702."

"A trip that at first Matthew here was reluctant to take," Ariana interjected. "After finding this place, he had no choice but to admit that I was right about the trip being a good idea." She had a mock smug expression as the others laughed at her words.

Matthew sighed good-naturedly. "Yes, thank you Arianna, but I don't believe that fact is important to the story."

"I think otherwise, but we can agree to disagree," she remarked teasingly.

Matthew mock-glared at his wife before pressing on with his story. "Anyway, one day during our travels, I spotted a land mass surrounded by mist and tall cliffs and decided to investigate it. When we arrived and explored the island and its natural defenses, finding no people indigenous to it, the idea to make this our haven away from the world came to all of us. So, we built homes and set up several runic wards around the entire island that were tied into the three ley lines that cross underneath it."

"It was our personal retreat away from the drama of Britain and with the secret floo system we set up between here and our homes in the country we could come and go without anyone knowing about it," Arianna added.

"We were even able to bring the house-elves we secretly rescued here, and they helped us set up the town. To keep everything a secret, we created a book that would record everyone who had access to the island and had them take a vow of secrecy that only the Head of the Family would be able to give permission to come to it, the same book you used." Matthew paused for a moment before continuing. "Then, on the night of July 19, 1711 there was a meteor crash near the waterfall that you saw on the southern end of town. It was the zafeírium and it changed our lives and everything on the island, living and non-living."

"Our house-elves are a good example of this," Arianna pointed out. "I'm sure all of you were quite startled by the improvements to their physical features, but it also made them smarter and stronger, physically and magically."

John spoke up next. "This also happened to many of the animals on this island, magical or not. Some of the non-magical animals even gained some magical abilities as well as a change in appearance."

"The plants and minerals on the island changed as well, becoming more potent. The materials used for clothing, tools, buildings, and anything else became better at conducting magic, though sometimes a dampener is needed to prevent overloading," Iris interjected.

"Exactly," Matthew stated. "The zafeírium turned this island into a completely different place. We changed as well after living here due to eating and drinking from its resources. It slowed down our aging and kept us in our prime for much longer, though only in the bounds of what our original potential was. However, there was an even greater change that happened." He took a pause for theatrics, causing the other portraits to roll their eyes at him.

"Oh, hurry up and tell them, you big goof," Arianna chastised, though there was an amused smirk on her face.

"Just ruin my fun won't you," Matthew muttered good-naturedly before refocusing. "The biggest change beside the zafeírium itself was the entirely new plant that was created a few months after the meteor crash. We call it the Zafissus plant due to its derivation from the Narcissus plant. Eating the star-shaped herb from it grants the individual untold strength and the ability to channel more magic than before. It makes you stronger physically, mentally, and magically, almost doubling the size of your core. The effects it has on you are even greater than that Sorcerer's Stone of Flamel's."

"What's the catch?" Narcissa asked pointedly.

"You're very sharp there," Matthew noted. "The catch, as you put it, is that not everyone can eat the herb and gain powers. Only those who are magically compatible with the energy of the zafeírium can do so. The criteria are not based on your personal nature but your magical prowess. It also can't be consumed by those who are past their magical prime."

"What happens to you if you eat it and you're not compatible?" Harry asked, guessing that it wasn't something good.

"You will lose your magic completely, with no chance of it ever returning. That's why our family designed a device to discover if someone was compatible or not before they eat it," Matthew answered gravely.

"How many have been compatible?" Andromeda inquired.

John responded this time. "7, not including myself, though Grandpa Matt here was one of them. Unfortunately, three of them thought it made them invincible and got themselves killed by trying to take on too many enemies without proper training. While the plant gives you increased strength, you must train before you can use it properly and learn your limits. If not, then you're no better than you were before you ate it."

"Indeed," Matthew concurred. "I tried to warn them, but they refused to listen to reason."

The group took a moment to take all of this in before Ted thought of another question. "You have an entire town built in this valley. How many people lived here and knew about all of this?"

"There were about 450 people and 250 elves here before the 10-Day War started," John said. "Most were those either related to the spouses of family members or those who we were able to help out of a hard situation."

"10-Day War?" Harry asked.

John sighed sadly and Iris rested her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Yes, it's the reason why the island was closed up. My brother, Simon, believed that our family should take control of Magical Britain due to his perceived superiority over 'regular' wizards and witches. His wife, Anna, encouraged this belief. I tried to get him to realize that it wasn't a good idea, but he refused to do so. We fought and argued and eventually he and Anna left the island. About four months later, he came to the island with Tom Riddle and an army of followers, intent on destroying everyone who opposed him. He'd told Riddle all about the zafeírium and the Zafissus plant. The bastard wanted the power and the island for himself, though he didn't inform my brother about his true intentions. Riddle brought giants, vampires, werewolves, and inferi with him and Simon and Anna helped disable several of the security defenses we had except for those on the manor and the mining station where the Zafissus plant and zafeírium were located respectively. It was a hard battle and after a few days we realized that we weren't going to win it. We were too overwhelmed and so many had died already. So, we devised a ritual that could transport everyone away from here and seal up the island from everyone until the time was right. Meanwhile, the battle raged on, devastating the town until we were all backed up by the zafeírium mining station and the manor, our last strongholds. On the fifth day, I was forced to kill Simon as he tried to kill Iris, but the battle continued, now being led completely by Riddle, who was much more ruthless in his tactics. By the tenth day, only 30 adults were left alive, the rest having been killed, including the women and children as well as several elves. We managed to deplete their forces as well, but they still overwhelmed us. In our last-ditch effort, those of us that were left combined all of our magic to power the ritual we'd designed. We were successful, but it killed us all. It was the price we had to pay to keep the zafeírium out of his hands. Lily, Iris and I's daughter, was the only child we were able to sneak off the island and the only Arrowwood that survived."

Lily spoke up after a long moment of silence. "I didn't even find out about all of this until after my parents were killed by Death Eaters during Britain's war, a little over a week before my death. I went to their house to get a few things and found the box in the attic. James and I brought Harry along with us to the island and we had planned on going back after meeting with a few of our friends to invite them to come as well, but it was too late."

"We should have just moved there immediately, but we trusted Wormtail to protect us," James declared angrily. "What happened to that rat anyway?"

"That's a long story," Harry replied sadly before the group launched into an explanation of what's happened since James and Lily's death. They told the portraits about everything they could think of, though Harry and Narcissa left out the details of their respective abuse. It took so long that an elf brought them dinner before they were done talking.

When Harry got finished describing all he had gone through at Hogwarts, all those in the portraits as well as those in the group were ready to find Dumbledore and tear into him. Harry ended with a summary of how Narcissa was able to divorce Lucius but didn't bring up the marriage contract just yet as everyone else took a moment to calm down.

"I never liked that man and now I know why," John remarked.

"I can't believe he let all of that happen in a school," Iris said.

"Hogwarts has always been a bit dangerous just because magic is dangerous, but this is absurd," James declared furiously. "He put not only your life, but the entire school's lives in danger."

Lily took a deep calming breath before responding. "He is lucky I'm only a portrait or hex him within an inch of his life." Her voice was quiet, but everyone could hear the cold anger coloring her tone.

Narcissa used a similar tone with her declaration. "You're not going back there, not if I have anything to say about it." Harry looked at her in surprise and was about to protest until he saw the resolve in her expression. "I know it's not ideal or what you want, but we can't trust him not to screw with your life or try to manipulate you into another unnecessarily dangerous situation. Plus, I highly doubt he will be very happy with our situation either. It's safer for you not to go back."

Harry sighed, unable to argue with her logic. "I know, but what about my friends?"

"We can give them the option to come here with us," Andromeda suggested helpfully. "They may not all take you up on the offer, but some will and at least you can say you tried."

"I wish you could go to school and worry about things a sixteen-year-old should, but you can't. For no good reason, you've been drawn into a war that started before you were born and Voldemort won't stop chasing you until you or he dies, especially when he finds out that you're an Arrowwood. It's the sad but unchangeable truth," Narcissa stated, her tone gentle.

"I agree that you shouldn't go back to school, but what is this situation you're referring to?" Lily asked curiously, not having heard them mention anything involving both Harry and Narcissa. The group all glanced at James at the same time, the witches with a touch of anger. Those in the portraits had confused expressions, especially James, though Arianna and Iris had their own suspicions.

"Umm… well you see there's… sort of… amarriagecontractbetweenmeandNarcissa," Harry announced nervously as he blurted the end out too quickly to be understood by most, except for Lily.

"Did you say a marriage contract?" she asked dangerously. At Harry's nod, she turned her ire on James, giving him a look that he knew meant trouble. "What were Sirius and you thinking?!"

James tried to inch away from his wife. "Would it make you feel better if I told you that I don't remember forming it?"

"No!" she replied angrily.

"I'm sorry," he tried, though it did him no good.

"Sorry, that's all you have to say? You put our son, who had to be a baby at the time, into a marriage contract! I'd ask what you were thinking, but the problem is you weren't because you were likely drunk when you did it." Lily, not wanting to look at her husband for the moment turned to face Harry and Narcissa. "How bad is it?"

Narcissa listed all of the requirements. "They had to be drunk to write it the way they did," she commented when she was done.

"You wrote a contract forcing Harry to become a father at 16!" Lily stated, her tone going cold. "How many times had I asked you not to get that drunk? Now, because you didn't listen, our son and Narcissa don't get the chance to choose who they want to spend the rest of their lives with. Narcissa even just got OUT of a contracted marriage only to get thrown back INTO one, this time with someone young enough to be her son." Then she turned to Narcissa, her voice much gentler. "I mean no offense to you, I'm simply upset with the situation."

"None taken. I understand your anger," Narcissa replied. "Even though we were forced into this, I do want you to know that I will do the best I can to take care of your son."

Lily nodded in agreement. "I'm certain you will. I remember from school that you had a good heart, in spite of your family. From what I've seen today, your heart hasn't changed." The she addressed Harry specifically. "I'm sorry your father's idiotic behavior and poor decision making got you into this situation sweetie."

Harry shrugged. "I'm used to things out of my control happening to me. This definitely isn't the worst."

"You shouldn't be used to it, but I'm glad you're looking on the bright side," Lily replied. "Just try to make the best of it and I'm sure you two will be okay. If you need anything or just want to talk, know that we are here. We even have separate portraits around here somewhere if you need to speak to one of us privately."

"Thank you, Lily."

"Thanks Mum."

"I really am sorry you two. I… I may not remember doing it, but I do remember fearing for your future Harry. I was scared that I wouldn't be alive to see you grow up and that others would try to take advantage of you because of our family name and fortune since my death would make you the last Potter," James stated remorsefully.

"You should have talked to me about it then James, not try and drown your sorrows in alcohol," Lily said turning to face her husband, compassion in her expression. "I'm still very cross with you, but I can understand your reasons. The war was getting worse and we were losing too many friends and family. But if you had come to me, we could have set up something that would have protected Harry without taking away his choice."

When everyone had settled back down, Matthew spoke up. "I may not be able to void your contract, but I might be able to help you with your time constraints."

"How?" Harry and Narcissa asked at the same time.

"Well, as is rumored, our family did invent a time dilation runic scheme. We were able to make it possible to give you up to 2 years within a week of real time, though more than that could mess with your magic badly," Matthew answered.

"The room got destroyed during the war, but it is possible to fix it if any of you are good with runic magic," John revealed.

"Well it's a good thing that Harry here is an expert in that," Tonks declared.

"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but if you show it to me, I should be able to figure it out," Harry admitted, hope filling him. _Two years will at least give us time to really get to know each other. Even if we don't fall in love, that's better than nothing._

Narcissa on the other hand didn't want to get her hopes up just yet. "How do you know that it won't interfere with the contract?"

John smiled at her, understanding her concern. "Because we tested it with someone under a magical contract with no problems, though nothing as constraining as yours. While you will age physically under the spell, you won't age magically. When we checked the ages of those who were under it after they finished, their ages hadn't changed except for the time that had passed in the real world."

Narcissa turned to Harry. "Not trying to pressure you, but do you really think you can fix it?"

Harry gave her a small, determined smile. "I can. I'll start working on it right now if someone will tell me where everything is."

"I think it can wait until the morning Harry," Ted said after checking the time. "It's getting late and we've gotten enough to think about for one day."

Everyone else checked the time as well and saw that it was nearing ten o'clock. "Yes, I think you'll work better after getting some sleep," Andromeda added.

"You're right," Harry conceded.

They all said their goodbyes, Harry and his parents reluctantly, before the group called for Sammy to lead them out.

Once they got back to the Tonks home, everyone adjourned to their rooms, needing time alone to wrap their heads around all that they had learned and get some rest.

\- T.T.H.S.L.W. –

While that group had spent their day learning about the Arrowwood family's secrets, Lucius Malfoy was informed about something else, though his news was much less pleasant.

In the afternoon, he left home to go to Gringotts to withdraw some money from the Black Family vault. The money was needed to fund a venture that his Dark Lord wanted to undertake. Due to his failure during the battle at the Ministry, Lucius was being ordered to finance it as part of his punishment. Now usually Narcissa went with him to withdraw from this vault, but she had not returned from her trip yet, something he barely remembered giving her permission to do. Instead of trying to find her and force her to come back immediately to go with him, he decided to go on his own, a decision he would come to regret.

When he arrived at the bank, he walked up to the teller with the shortest line, sniffing his nose at the goblins disdainfully. After waiting for far too long if you asked him, he finally reached the front of the line. "I need to make a withdrawal from the Black Family vault immediately."

"One moment," the goblin, named Griffhook, replied dismissively, not looking up from the papers on his desk.

"I said I need to do so immediately goblin," Lucius asserted indignantly.

"One moment, wizard," Griffhook responded indifferently, still not looking up.

Lucius, knowing it was best not to make a scene with a bank full of people decided to be patient, though he truly wished he could hex the creature for its disrespect. After five more minutes, Griffhook finally acknowledged Lucius by looking at him.

"How can Gringotts help you today?" Griffhook asked scornfully.

"I said that I need to make a withdrawal from the Black Family vault," Lucius repeated, irritation coloring his tone.

"One moment while I confer with the account manager," Griffhook stated, having heard the rumors of a new Lord Black. He left without giving Lucius time to reply to him. Said wizard had to take several deep breaths to calm down before he did something stupid. He figured the goblin was only making him wait because Narcissa wasn't with him this time and promised to remind himself to punish her for causing him this inconvenience.

After fifteen minutes, Griffhook returned with a smug expression on his face, triggering an ominous feeling to surround Lucius, though the man ignored it. The goblin took his time getting back into his seat before addressing the wizard. "You no longer have access to the Black Family vault." Then he turned to the next customer in line. "Next please."

"Excuse me. You are mistaken. I have access to the vault through my wife," Lucius insisted.

"That may have been true before, but it isn't any longer," Griffhook informed him with pleasure. He was loving the opportunity to put the arrogant wizard in his place.

"I demand to speak to the account manager," Lucius asserted condescendingly.

Griffhook smiled at him, something that should have served as a warning. "Very well then."

Lucius of course ignored the signs of danger and strutted behind the young goblin that served as his guide, certain that he was going to get the problem solved quickly. _I will find and deal with Narcissa as soon as I am done here_.

Once they arrived, the goblin opened the door after knocking before walking off somewhere else, not wanting to stay in Lucius presence any longer than necessary. There was an amused expression on his face though and he decided to head back to the main atrium in case there was a show to be witnessed.

The wizard didn't even notice the goblins expression, too focused on getting to the bottom of his issue. When he noticed that it was a different goblin than he was used to dealing with, he started to get worried however. Instead, Manager Silverclaw was sitting behind the desk. "Where is Manager Axeclaw?" Lucius demanded imperiously.

"Manager Axeclaw is no longer in charge of this account," Silverclaw replied calmly. "There is also a new Lord Black and he did not give you access to the family vault. In fact, you should not have had access to the vault in the first place since the previous Lord Black did not give you access either, though that blame belongs on Axeclaw's head, not yours. After all, you were not aware of this fact." Silverclaw stated warningly.

"My son should be first in line for that position," Lucius argued, though he was less sure of that answer due to the truth of Draco's birth.

"No, he wasn't, and the matter is already settled anyway. There is something else that you need to be made aware of since you're here," Silverclaw declared before pulling out an official Gringotts letter from off of his desk. He handed it to Lucius who ripped it open in his anger.

Once Lucius read the contents of it, he screamed out in fury and fear. _No, this can't be happening. That contract was supposed to be foolproof_. He stood there in shocked disbelief for a few minutes before being interrupted by Silverclaw.

"I will assume that you are upset by this news, but there is no way to change it," Silverclaw explained unsympathetically. "You will have to deal with this on your own time however because I have business to handle."

It was a clear dismissal, but Lucius ignored it. "NO! I demand that I get my access to the Black Family vault reinstated, my marriage reinstated, and my son be given the Black Lordship. I will NOT leave until you do so," Lucius shouted, trying to be intimidating.

Silverclaw was unaffected. "Even if I could, which I can't, I wouldn't do so. Now leave my office immediately before I call the guards."

Lucius, acting out of blind rage, pulled out his wand and pointed it at Silverclaw. "You will do what I tell you to do if you know what's good for you, pathetic creature. These walls may protect you now, but I know someone who can change that."

"Are you threatening me? You do remember that that it is illegal inside of the walls Gringotts?" Silverclaw replied in a low voice.

"Give me my access right now you stupid goblin!" Lucius screamed.

Calmly, Silverclaw pressed the button to summon the guards who came storming into the room a few seconds later. They saw Lucius's wand out and moved to attack him before Silverclaw halted them. "Please remove this wizard. He learned some bad news and is unable to handle it at the moment."

The guards nodded before dragging a kicking and screaming Lucius out of the office. They slowed down a bit when they reached the front atrium, giving all of the goblins and humans alike time to gaze at the spectacle Lucius was making of himself. He screamed incoherently the entire journey as he tried to break free from their hold. The goblin who'd led him to Silverclaw's office sniggered behind his hand, glad that he didn't miss it.

At the door, they threw him out and warned him that if he tried to enter the bank within the next 7 days, he would be executed for attempted murder of a goblin inside Gringotts.

Angry and afraid, Lucius apparated back to Malfoy manor. When he got there, he headed straight for the liquor cabinet and poured himself a healthy dose of brandy. He drunk the entire cup before pouring another dose and sitting down on the chair in front of his fireplace.

Draco found him there about an hour later. "Father will mother be home soon," he asked until he saw the cup in Lucius's hand and the expression on his face. "Father, what happened?"

Lucius, quite drunk by now, replied in a bland tone. "Your mother managed to divorce me and there is a new Lord Black, cutting off my access to the family's vault."

Draco looked at his father in shock. "That's not possible! Mother would never leave us! She knows better."

"It seems she outsmarted me somehow," Lucius remarked. He didn't mention that Narcissa wasn't the boy's real mother, sober enough to keep that secret for the moment.

"Where is she now? I thought she was supposed to be on a trip," Draco inquired, trying to come to terms with his "mother's" betrayal.

"I doubt she went on her supposed trip," Lucius said disdainfully.

"Who's the new Lord Black?" Draco asked, afraid of the answer.

"Seeing as Sirius Black was the previous one, I'm sure he gave it to Potter," Lucius correctly guessed.

Draco looked at his father in horror and went completely silent, the color draining from his face. Several minutes later, he let out a loud, piercing scream of horror. It was so unexpected that Lucius almost fell out of his chair as he jumped in shock.

"NOOOOOOOOO! CURSE YOU POTTER!"


End file.
